


893

by yanagi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-09
Updated: 2011-07-09
Packaged: 2019-05-17 23:44:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 364,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14841488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yanagi/pseuds/yanagi
Summary: Harry winds up in Japan and lives a completely different life from the one Dumbledore planned for him. He returns to England and ... things are really different.





	1. Chapter 1

Title: 893

Rating: Mature

Parings: It's gen

Warnings: Harry has potty mouth and is rude. Violence, explosions, martial arts 

Beta: 50ft queenie and purpledodah

Disclaimer: I do not own or hold any rights to Harry Potter. Those rights belong to JK Rowling, Warner Brothers and I'm not sure who else. This fan fiction was written for fun, not profit. However, this story does belong to me. Please don’t snitch it. 

 

Authors notes: In this story Harry goes to Japan. {Figured that out the easy way, right?} He learns about magic in an environment where he is taught magic but he also invents magic, which he copies from manga. He reads Inuyasha, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Ruroni Kenshin. He is not a nice little boy, being raised by Yakuza. He's not necessarily mean either. He just has a slightly different set of morals. {Yes, this is a totally self-indulgent wank on my part.}

While reading, you will notice changes in the way dialog is written. If the speaker is speaking English and there is Japanese included, that's what he is speaking, Japanese words and phrases jumbled into his English. If the speaker is speaking all English, it's just written in English. If the speaker is speaking Japanese and I've translated it, I'll put it in italics. Unless the majority is Japanese, then I'll do it the other way around, I'll put a remark at the beginning of the chapter so you'll know for sure. There will also be some places where someone speaks Japanese in front of English speakers who are speaking English, in that case it will be in romanji, with translations either in the dialog or at the end of the chapter. Titles like 'Oyabun' will always be in Japanese. I also won't try to write that odd brand of English that Japanese people seem to speak. In my world they speak 'proper' English. All Japanese names are Family/Given, unless otherwise noted. Harry will be known by his Japanese name in the first few chapters but I'll make sure you know what it is.

Also, to those who know more about Japan than I do, this is an idealized Japan. Things are not always identical to the real thing. The Yakuza are more active and more visible. Magic is well known but it's like taking a bath in a traditional coop bath house. You see but don't 'look'.

Also, as many abused children do, Harry might act much younger than he really is.  
....

 

The little boy crept into the bushes behind #4 Privet Drive and huddled down. It was late, cold and the dew was just setting on. He was a bad freak and so he was locked out of the house. He was supposed to go to the shed at the bottom of the garden but Uncle Vernon had not unlocked it.

He quailed in terror as voices speaking a strange language approached. If they found him, they would tell Uncle Vernon. He didn't like being an ashtray so he huddled down as close to the trunk of the yew bush as he could get.

“I'm sorry, Oyabun, I know I saw something in the bushes.”

“Well, find it, you stupid monkey, and bring it to me.”

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll look.”

Harry flinched a bit as the older man smacked the younger one on the back of the head. The younger man didn't seem to notice much and Harry thought it had been more noise than anything else.

When the younger man crouched down again Harry was torn. If he scrooched back enough that the man couldn't see him, Vernon would. If he stayed where he was, his uncle couldn't get to him, but the other man could.

He wished everyone would go away and let him rest. He hurt all over and he was so hungry that he felt stupid and so thirsty that his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He paid for his moment of inattention. The man snagged his foot and pulled him out. He cried out in pain as he was dragged out, his cut back bumping on the hard earth.

The man called Oyabun looked at the tiny form. “It's a boy!” The man examined the boy for a moment. “Bring him inside, Kuma.”

The man holding the boy started to pick him up but Harry took one look at his light suit and whimpered, “No, no! Don't! I'm all dirty, it'll ruin your nice suit. I'll walk. Please.”

Kuma spoke very good English so he under stood his little captive. “Maa, maa. Hush, you. It'll clean. You must always obey the Oyabun, no matter what he says. He's a very important man.”

Harry trembled as he trotted into the house beside the man. His ankle hurt, his back hurt and he thought he was bleeding from somewhere. He was going to make a mess and the Oyabun would be mad. He wondered how hard the man would beat him, or would he just have Kuma shoot him with his gun. Harry knew the man had one, he'd seen it when he pulled him out from under the bush.

The Oyabun turned in the kitchen and said, “Stand there. Who are you? Why are you spying on us?”

Kuma translated. Harry had no idea what he was talking about so he just replied, “I'm Freak. I was just ... hiding from my uncle. I'm supposed to go to the shed but he didn't unlock it. He won't care though. He'll just get mad and hit me, cause I'm a bad freak.”

Kuma translated this keeping his face as serene as he could. The Oyabun had children, grown now and working in the gumi, but he was well known to have a soft spot for kids.

Miyamoto Musashi looked down at the tiny boy and sighed. “Well, what is wrong with these idiots. He's a perfectly nice looking child. Ask him if he'd like me to be his father.” He raised an eyebrow at the look his so-honbucho was giving him. “Don't look at me like that. I've been wanting a toy child for a while. He'll do as well as any other.”

Kuma was some sort of nephew of the Oyabun and knew that he didn't mean a 'sex toy' child but a child that was a 'toy' in the way of being spoiled, indulged and taught to amuse the parent with witty conversation and tumbling and such.

“As you wish, I'll ask him.” Kuma turned to the small boy and said, “Your people are not nice to you. Would you like to come with us? Miyamoto Musashi, the Oyabun, would like you to be his son. What do you think?”

Harry, wary of anything adults offered him, asked, “Can I have something to eat? And some clothes? I know I'm being greedy but ... I'd really like a pair of shoes that fit.”

“Well!”

Kuma was a yakuza with at least three murders to his credit but he was nearly in tears as he translated, “He says if he can have something to eat and some new clothes, especially a pair of shoes that fit.”

Miyamoto-Oyabun turned to Harry. “You have what you want. Anything. I get you things I think you have too. Yes?” His English wasn't good, that was why he always had a translator and never spoke it in public.

“Yes, please, sir.”

Kuma blew his nose then said, “Ok, kiddo. You say, Hai! Otousan. That means, yes, honorable father. You should also bow. You think you can do that?”

Harry carefully bowed, doing a fairly good job of it. “Hai! Otousan!” He blinked at the tall, stern faced man for a moment.

Kuma gasped softly. “Oyabun! Look at his eyes. They are green!”

Miyamoto-sama looked and replied, “Yes, so they are. Jade green. This child is truly a treasure. Take him into the bathroom and get him cleaned up. One of the kobun should have something to fit him. A yukata, perhaps.”

Harry followed Kuma to the bath room, taking off his shoes obediently when told to.

Kuma ran a bath, he thought Westerners were filthy, getting into the tub before they were decently clean, but in this case he just helped Harry strip. He had the tiny boy bend over the toilet then spread his ass cheeks gently with his thumbs.

Harry objected to this, saying, “I wiped my bum good when I went!”

“Just checking. There's blood.”

“Oh! Well, the cuts are higher up. It just ran down.”

Kuma relaxed. “Sorry, the ... boss would have my finger if I didn't make sure. Here, the tub is full, get in. Wash what you can reach. I'm going to get you something to wear. It'll probably be too big, and Nihon wear, but it'll be clean.”

Harry slid into the tub and reached for the wash cloth. “That's ok, Mr. Kuma. What's Nihon?”

Kuma laughed softly. “It's Kuma-kun. I'm no Western Mister. Nihon is Japan. That's where all of us are from. We're here ... conducting some ... business.”

“Oh. Can you shoot with that gun?”

Kuma just shrugged. “I get the job done. Why?”

Harry sighed, peeked at Kuma from the corner of his eye and said. “I wish I could shoot with a gun. I'd go shoot Uncle Vernon. He's a bad man. He ... calls me a freak. He ... I won't get in trouble for saying?”

“No. You tell Kuma whatever you want.” Kuma winked at Harry broadly. “Maybe Kuma can ... fix things, yes?”

“He hit me with a belt because I got a better score on my paper than Dudley did. He said I cheated. I didn't! How can you cheat on a drawing of a rainbow.”

“Mmmm. He's going to get his. We'll figure out something. You! Wash!”

“Yes, sir.” And Harry started washing while Kuma went to report to his Oyabun and find Harry something clean.

The only thing he could find was a small yukata that one of the kobun had accidentally packed. It belonged to his little brother so it was only a bit too large, not that uncommon a happening.

He returned to check on Harry and found the water filthy and the little boy quite a bit cleaner.

“Ah, good. Let me change the water, so you can get really clean. I'm going to put down a rug for you to get out on. Then I'm going to dry you off and put some cream on your cuts. It'll sting a bit. Sorry about that, but you don't want an infection.” Kuma efficiently drained the tub and started running clean water into it. “I'll just throw away these bloody things. Ok?” Kuma wasn't about to do anything without asking Harry first, even if he knew there was no use for the nasty bloody things.

Harry, who'd been doing a lot of thinking, and some eavesdropping, decided that he was going to trust these men. They had a completely different feel from Uncle Vernon and his bunch. “I ... if I ask you to do something, will you get mad if it's a bad idea?”

“No. I'll just tell you so. What do you want?”

Harry nibbled at his lip, then said softly, “I want to get Uncle Vernon in trouble.”

“Ha! Good boy! How?”

Harry gave this rather mild approval a brilliant smile in return. “Well, if we hide my bloody clothing somewhere, like in the shed then call the cops and tell them that I'm missing, they'll do the rest? Maybe?”

Kuma laughed so hard he burped. “Oh! Warui, gomen. I mean, my bad, sorry. You'll have to learn Nihongo. Japanese.”

“Ok. But was my idea good?”

“Yes. We'll go talk to the Oyabun. The boss. Miyamoto Musashi-sama. And you'll need a Japanese name. We'll worry about that later, though.”

Harry got out of the tub and let Kuma dry him off. He also rubbed stuff into his cuts and bruises. It stank and came in a tin with a tiger on it. He looked at the dress Kuma wanted him to wear and frowned.

“A dress? But, I'm a boy!” His near wail brought Miyamoto-sama to the door.  
“What is wrong here?” His gruff snap made Harry quail. “Stand up, young one.”

Kuma laughed again. He explained quickly.

Miyamoto-sama smiled at Harry. “No dresses. Boys wear this. I big boy, I wear. Here! Look!” He pulled a wallet out of his pocket and showed Harry a picture of himself in a dress thing with a vest on over it, split toed socks on his feet and straw sandals.

Harry looked at the picture then grinned. “Ok. It's nice with the vest thingy. What's it called.”

“A haori. And, when we get back to Nihon I'll get you hakama. That's pants. You'll like them.”

Harry gave him a puzzled look. “Don't Nihonese wear trousers. I don't think you should wear pants on the outside.”

“Nihonjin. I think we get mixed up a bit. Pants are these.” Kuma tugged at the crease in his trousers.

Harry pointed to his dirty underwear. “Those are pants. You wear them under trousers. Where'd you learn to speak English?”

“American city. Chicago. This is going to be fun. Teaching you. Yes.” He nodded his head emphatically, his English slipping a bit in his excitement. “Now. Put on this and we'll get you something to eat.”

Harry put the yukata on and started to cross the fronts but Kuma stopped him. “No, other way around. Left over right. Right over left is for dead people.”

“Ok. But ... Why?” Harry waited. Usually, when he asked a question, he'd get a clout over the head. Only his new father had any idea how much courage it took to ask a simple question.

“Because, if you cross it this way...” Kuma efficiently got the obi wrapped around Harry three times and fluffed the bow a bit. “then you can put things in the pocket formed by the drape. There!” He patted this and pulled at that. “You look very kawaii and kakkoi.”

Harry looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't look the least bit girly so he approved, especially when he saw the proud look on his new father's face.

“Otousan! I look ok?”

“Aa! Dai jobu desu ka?”

Kuma helped out. “Yes. Are you well?”

Harry bowed to his father. “Yes. I'm good.”

And so his new life began.

“Come! Sit! You had idea? Tell me!”

Kuma picked Harry up to carry him, explaining, “The bathroom floor is dirty. I'll carry you to cleaner. You tell the Oyabun your idea. He'll either tell you it's ok or it's crap.”

So Harry explained his idea. “Well, see, everyone here hates me because my aunt and uncle lie on me all the time and Dudley is a prat and beats me up. So, I've been living in the cupboard under the stairs all my life. It's sure to be full of blood, from ... stuff. If I disappear and my bloody stuff is found in the shed, maybe ... the cops will think Uncle Vernon murdered me or something and they'll get into trouble. All the neighbours will gossip about how much trouble they've all had with me and that'll make it even worse 'cause it'll look like they think they had a reason. See?”

Miyamoto-sama thought about Kuma's translation, what he'd understood of what Harry had said, Kuma's rather acidic additions and his own knowledge of human behavior. “Yes. This is good.” then he had to switch into Japanese. “Kuma-kun, get Genji Shinichi in here. I have to think about this a bit. And bring tea. We might as well get ...” He turned his gazed to Harry. “Your name, boy. And your age.”

Harry sighed, “Harry Potter sir. Or Freak. But you can call me anything you like. I'm nine.” he hoped that Otousan wouldn't like freak.  
“Hmmm, we need to find that boy a name. He'll take my family name, of course. But he needs a strong name.”

Kuma nodded. “Aa, Oyabun. I'm going now. And I'll bring the boy back some food too.”

Kuma, as so-honbucho, or Chief of HeadQuarters, knew where everyone and everything in the house was. He found Genji Shinichi and told him that he was wanted then went to make tea and something for Harry to eat. He wondered what the boy would like then decided that the boy would probably eat anything.

He had to shake his head. The boy was way too skinny and smaller than he should be. He'd fix that quickly, he decided. “Hai! Hai! Some good food for the boy. Let me see ... miso ... rice ... a bit of fish. Won't do to feed him too much all at once and make him sick.”

“You talkin' to yourself and in English? Gaijin make you crazy?”

Kuma shook his head. “No. But we'll all need to practice it a bit more. The Oyabun has a toy child now. He doesn't speak Nihon.”

Genji-san thought about that as Kuma filled his tray. “Perhaps not, but ... we shouldn't speak English around him too much. He'll learn quicker if he gets ... drowned? In Nihon. Just let him speak English when he's totally confused ... or gets frustrated. What's the Oyabun want?”

“You'll see. Come on, asshole.”

Genji didn't object to being called 'asshole' as the word used was 'kono yaru' and in this connotation only meant 'you'.

They returned to the Oyabun and his chosen child.

Kuma put the tray on the table and started pouring tea.

Harry took the cup that Kuma handed him and said, “Thank you.” when his eyes lit on the bowl of rice and fish he looked astonished. “Is all that for me?”

“Yes, and the soup too. Eat slowly or you'll get sick.”

Harry looked at the sticks Kuma handed him then at the food. He had no idea how to eat with sticks.

Kuma just laughed and handed him a fork. “You'll learn to eat with hashi later. Just get used to the idea. Dig in.”

“Thank you ... Kuma-kun?” Kuma nodded at Harry's questioning of his proper name then turned to the conversation between Miyamoto-sama and Genji-san.

Harry paid attention to his food and the odd, green tea, letting the conversation go by over his head.

“Well, it seems we have a fine addition to the family. He understands revenge well, even at this young age. So, Genji-san, please see to it that the bloody clothing is in sight but not easily seen.” Miyamoto-sama thought for a moment. “A break in would be a good reason to call the police. Make sure that a neighbour sees you but don't actually get caught. Yes?”

Genji-san bowed slightly. “Yes, Oyabun, I'll slip around to the other side. That woman there is nosey as they come. I'll riffle the house and take anything of worth that I can lay hands on easily. Jewelry and such. Any money. Anything else I should take?”

“We trying to make it look like a simple break in? Or something more?” Kuma furrowed his brow in thought.

Miyamoto-sama decided. “Make it look like a druggie did it. That way the onus for the young man's disappearance falls directly on the family.” He snorted. “If you can call them that. Be seen but be careful.”

Later that night, Genji slipped out the back door and into the hedges. Harry watched him go, puzzled as to why the usually very elegantly dressed man was wearing out at the knee jeans and a ragged flannel shirt.

Genji eeled through the hedge, picked the lock on the shed and opened it carefully in case it squeaked. He used a small pen light to look around. What he saw enraged him. There was a bloody, dirty blanket in one corner, obviously the bed Harry slept on when he was forced to stay in the shed over night. He smiled, a rather evil looking thing, and just tossed Harry's old clothing onto the pile and kicked it under the work bench, leaving a trailing corner to make it look like an attempt to hide it. He looked out, checked the sun and eased into the yard next door.

He smiled at the Western idea that a lock would keep a determined Ninja out. It didn't take him long to climb the back of the house and slip into the upstairs window, showing his silhouette to the window peeper next door in the process. He rummaged the bedroom that obviously belonged to the adults. He found a small jewelry box in the bottom of a drawer. It contained a delicate pair of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet. He pocketed it and the envelope of bills that was beside it. He tossed all the dresser drawers onto the floor in the process.

A search of the closet found another, much larger jewelry box which contained mostly bad costume stuff which he tossed onto the floor of the closet. The bottom drawer yielded a pair of emerald earrings in bezel settings, a mans ring with a crest on it and a letter. A shelf above his head attracted his attention and he looked it over carefully. A box contained a sleeper and a baby blanket, since the corner of the blanket had a big P on it he stuffed it all into his backpack and continued his search. He trashed the closet a bit, tossing more stuff on the floor as quietly as he could. He didn't think the family would have noticed anyway, as the tv was so loud as to hide quite a bit more noise than he'd ever make.

He took a quick look into the next room and shook his head. It was a mess, toys everywhere, most of them broken. He couldn't see anything worth taking so he moved on. The next room, across the hall from the messy one was bigger and also full of toys, games and video equipment. He took the hand held games as well as every cartridge he could stuff into his pack. He also stacked the game systems, he could carry them easily after duct taping them together. He left the cables dangling.

Genji-sama snickered as he eased down the stairs. This bunch was so oblivious that he was tempted to do something silly, like sneak right past them, but he refrained. He did slip into the small office and look for a safe or lock box. He found a lock box in the bottom drawer and just took the whole thing. He didn't care what was in it, just that the theft would cause them annoyance.

He had to do a bit of quick foot work to open the cupboard under the stairs enough to attract attention. He blocked it with a bit of folded paper stuffed into the lock plate and another under the back edge of the bottom. Even if one of them managed to close the door without attracting attention, it wouldn't stay. He took a quick look inside, risking discovery and snarled to himself. No child should be treated this way. He was severely tempted to teach the fat man a lesson. But he shrugged this off as it wasn't what his Oyabun wanted.

He made sure that the nosy woman next door caught sight of him as he forced his way through the hedge. Not what he would usually do as he was perfectly capable of jumping it, but he needed to leave some evidence of intrusion or the police wouldn't search.

He was changed and calmly sipping tea when the police knocked on the door.

Harry flinched at the knock but Kuma patted him on the shoulder. “Now, remember, you don't speak English. Keep your eyes down and hide behind me as much as you can get away with.”

Harry frowned. “What time is it?”

Kuma checked his Rolex watch. “Nearly eight. Why?”

Harry managed a quite creditable smirk. “I'm small for my age. Tell them I'm four, instead of nine. I'll just go to bed and pretend to be asleep.”

Kuma chuckled and helped him into the bed. “There. Close your eyes. Perhaps you'll actually be asleep soon.”

Harry snuggled down in the first bed he remembered sleeping in and fell asleep before Kuma was out the door. It had been a very stressful day and he was worn out.

Kuma entered the parlor just in time, the Oyabun was getting annoyed. The policeman, like many Westerners, seemed to think that the louder he spoke, the better the chance that he'd be understood.

Kuma bowed with just enough depth to be rude, but not enough to be insulting. He knew the subtleties of this were lost on the policeman but still, proprieties should be observed.

“How may I help you?”

“You see anything odd about an hour ago?” The officer was tired, annoyed and just wanted to complete this canvas and clock out. The paper work was going to be killer.

“An hour ago? No, okami.” Kuma kept his replies as short as he could. He knew that using the yakuza word for police would go over the officer's head.

“Anyone else in the house that might have seen something?”

Kuma shrugged. “I could ask around. There are four others in the house, but none of them speak English.”

“I'd like to talk to them.” The officer, oblivious to the twinkle in the older man's eye, set himself up for an interesting conversation.

Ten minutes later, the officer had a headache and all the Yakuza kyōdai were amused. The officer shouted at them, they bowed and exclaimed, “Hai! Hai! Warui, aho!” in very polite tones. The Oyabun had to still his twitching lips several times. Saying “Yes! Yes! Sorry, asshole!” was not something you could get away with in Japan but it was very amusing here.

Finally, he snapped, “Kuma! Yamero! Urusai!” then he turned and walked out of the room. He had to leave before he started laughing. It was not a good thing to laugh in the face of a policeman.

Kuma bowed, too deeply, and said, “I am so very sorry. My boss is a man of little patience. If we wake his ... son, yes, son. He will be most displeased. Most unhappy. The boy is four and asleep. Sorry. Please?” He carefully bowed and edged the man right out the door.

.

While this was going on at the yakuza house, the Dursleys were experiencing some difficulties of their own.

A sharp eyed officer had noticed the open cupboard door and looked inside. He'd called the supervisor and had him look. This had led to a search of the entire property and the discovery of the bloody blanket and clothing. Vernon was now under arrest and officers were searching for the young nephew, who hadn't been seen for several days. The neighbor who called in the break in was just thrilled to tell the officers all about the juvenile delinquent nephew who was always in some sort of trouble or other.

A more through search of the house revealed that the missing boy was nearly erased from existence. No pictures, no proper clothing, no evidence of a bed or other place for him to sleep. There were going to be a lot of questions that needed proper answers.

Petunia only managed to evade arrest because of Dudley. Dudley was just delighted that he didn't have to put up with that freak any longer, his comments only added to the families difficulties.  
.

Harry woke in the morning to a cheerful voice calling, “Wake up! Time for breakfast. Oko shimas! Asa gohan!”

Harry scrambled out of bed and struggled to get his yukata rearranged. Kuma helped him with quick, gentle hands then said, “The Oyabun has said that you are to be spoken to only in Japanese. So that you will learn the language quickly. If you get really confused you are allowed to ask questions in English. Please, try very hard. Yes? It will please your Otousan.”

Harry wrinkled his brow in confusion. “I thought he is my Chichi-ue?”

“Yes. But he is not my father. Chichi-ue means 'my father' Otosan is your father. See?”

“Yes, sir. Aa, Kuma-kun.”

“Yatta!” They grinned at each other and Kuma scooped Harry up, tossed him over his shoulder and carried him to breakfast.

Harry loved the breakfast. He had more rice, a whole fish of his own, pickles, miso soup and tea. He even managed to eat the pickles and fish with his hashi. He learned that it was ok to just drink the soup from the bowl but he had to use a china spoon to eat his rice. He just couldn't manage with the sticks. But he was surprised and pleased to find that everyone there thought him incredibly smart to manage what he had. All the kyōdai exclaimed, “Hai! Hai! Yattane!” Smiling and clapping for him. He glowed at the praise and managed, “Gomen, tako.”

This made the men all laugh as he'd said, “Sorry, octopus.”

After breakfast, Miyamoto-sama stood up and said, “Harry, I will speak to you in English. That you will understand me. Demo ... but, this is not to be done much. We are going to get you nice clothing. See? You may have anything you like.”

Harry thought about this for a moment. “Thank you, Otousan. Are you taking me back to Nihon?”

“Of course! Not leaving you here. Silly boy.” Miyamoto-san swelled out his chest a bit. “You are mine now. Do me honor. Yes?”

“Yes, sir, I'll do my best.” Harry glanced at Kuma who mouthed the words. “Gambari masu.” Harry repeated them.

“Very good. Yattane! You did it! Come, we get stuff now.”

Harry was pleased to see that one of the kobun had worn a yukata too. The driver was dressed in a very expensive suit as was Kuma, who usually wore jeans or BDU's and t-shirts at home. His new father was dressed in a suit, with a vest, and looked every inch an elegant, well educated gentleman.

They drove to a nearby shopping centre and found a store that Miyamoto-san approved of.

They went in and he moved through the displays, pointing to things. The kobun took them off the rack and carried them behind him exclaiming, “Hai! Hai! Suteki na sentaku!” meaning 'Yes! Yes! Excellent choice!' at every choice.

Harry just trailed along, looking at the stuff in wonder.

They took the pile to a fitting room, which was locked, but not for long.

Harry blinked as Kuma slipped a bit of plastic into the crack between the door and the jamb and opened it easily. “I wanna learn that. Can I? Please?”

Kuma nodded. “I'll teach you. Japanese please.”

“Oh, warui!”

Kuma translated what Harry wanted to say into Japanese then had him say it himself.

“Here! Try on.” Harry cringed a bit at the tone of his Otousan's voice.

Kuma patted him on the shoulder. “Maa-maa. Ochitsuite, calm down, Harry-kun. All of us talk like that. He doesn't mean anything bad.”

Harry sighed. “Ok, warui, Kuma-kun.”

Harry went into the fitting room and started sorting through stuff. He found that his new father had an odd taste for 'cute' stuff. Clothing that Harry wouldn't wear on a bet. He hated Tele-tubies, Sesame Street and Barney. He sifted through until he had a smaller pile of plain or sports related things that he liked.

He put on one outfit and went out to let the others see it.

When he went out, he walked right into the middle of an argument between Miyamoto and a clerk. It wasn't going well, for the clerk, Miyamoto was pretending not to understand any English at all, as was Kuma. Harry sighed, this was going to be an aggravation that he didn't need.

He needed to interfere before they made enough of a scene that the woman remembered them. He pulled gently on his fathers trouser leg.

“Otousan, I like this. Yes?”

The woman turned to him. “Do you speak English, dear?”

“Yes, ma'am. I was born here. What's wrong?”

“You're not supposed to take that many items into the fitting room. And you're supposed to wait for me to unlock it.”

“Oh, sorry. But the door was open. And I don't see a sign anywhere. Not that I can read. Sorry. I'll bring out everything I don't like. Ok?”

Harry immediately decided that he didn't like the woman or her attitude. He wasn't sure what a jap was but he didn't like her tone of voice.

“Otousan . Can I whisper?”

“Yes. What is it?” He bent down and scooped Harry up to rest on his hip.

Harry managed a very creditable whisper, especially for a nine year old. “I don't like that woman. I don't want to buy too much stuff here either. I want to wait until we're in Nihon and get clothing there. Ok?”

“Huh! Good, good. Pick ... three suits. And to wear under. One each.”

“A package?”

“Hai! Ichi tsu tsumi des.”

“Ok.” Harry was put down. He went to find a package of pants, t-shirts and socks. The lady followed him.

“What do you need, sweetie?” Her sickly-sweet tone insulted Harry but he just asked for what he needed and let her go look for it.

He liked the jeans, t-shirt and shoes he had on. So he put them to one side. After trying on several more outfits, he had three that he liked.

One outfit was a track suit with Manchester United logos on the back of the shirt and the leg of the trousers. Another was a simple pair of jeans and a green t-shirt. The third was something Harry had always wanted, a neat button down shirt, vest and dark grey dress trousers. He wondered if he ought to get a tie.

He modeled each choice for the group and got approval from them for everything except the Manchester United set. When he explained that it would be, in his opinion, most comfortable for flying, he was allowed to have it. He swelled with happiness, this was turning out to be the best decision of his life, so far.

It was decided that he'd wear the jeans and t-shirt, but the shoes were already rubbing his toes so he put them back.

“I still need shoes. Those don't fit.”

“Sweetie, I measured your feet, those should fit.”

Harry just shrugged and said, sullenly, “Well, they don't. I don't want them.”

Suddenly, Kuma and Miyamoto-sama were just behind him, pouring on the intimidation. The clerk looked up and made a sound that was suspiciously like, 'eep!'

“Something?”

“She says the shoes should fit. They don't.” Harry tried a sulk.

“No sulk. You no like, you no take.” Miyamoto-sama's expression made his opinion of the woman and being forced to use his poor English plain. “Onna no baka.” He snorted, handed over his credit card and motioned for the wakashu to pick Harry up.

Harry just clung to the man's yukata and whispered, “Domo arigato gozaimas.”

“Do ita shimaste, Tenshi.” The wakashu smiled at Harry.

They left the store in a clump. Miyamoto turned to Kuma. “I don't like that woman. Her attitude was shameful. The young one needs shoes. Find him some.”

“Ok, boss. Right on it.”

Harry, meanwhile, had persuaded the wakashu to wander down the sidewalk a bit. He enjoyed the view from this high up and the feeling that no one would bother him. The strong arms supporting him made him feel safe.

“What's your name?”

The wakashu looked at Harry in confusion. Harry pointed to himself, making a fist and jerking his extended thumb at his chest. “Harry. Name Harry.” He pointed at the wakashu, making the young man cross his eyes. They both laughed.

The wakashu understood Harry at last and said, “Wa tashi no namae wa Nomura Hoshiyo des.” He crooked his hand around to point at his nose with his index finger.

“Nomura Hoshiyo?”

“Hai! Nomura-kun.” He smiled and nodded several times.

“Go there, Nomura-kun. Dozo?”

“Ho-kay.”

Harry had spotted a shoe store and pointed to it. Nomura-kun ambled in that direction, followed by the rest of the group.

Harry thought they were being very indulgent with him because of his uncle and his many injuries, he would find out later that the Japanese are usually very indulgent with their children and a toy child was even more indulged than normal. He didn't even have to worry about his siblings being jealous of him. His three brothers were all much older than he was and already out of school and involved in the organization.

Harry looked in the window and saw sandals, shoes and boots all over. He had actually never been to a store before so everything was new and interesting.

“I want those. Please?” Harry turned begging green eyes on his Otousan. The man melted at once. Miyamoto Musashi was the head of one of the largest and most clandestine Yakuza gumi's in existence but he melted into a puddle at the sight of those eyes.

“You have whole store, you want? Dozo?”

Harry smiled sweetly. “No, thank you. Just those boots and that pair of sandals. Please? Kudasai?”

So they went in. Harry pointed to the boots he wanted and the sandals. The man had him stand on a metal thing to find the proper size and Harry wandered around while he waited for his size to be brought out. He found some plastic sandals, commonly called flip-flops, which Kuma called zori. He tried them on and liked them.

Kuma added them to the pile of stuff that was already on the counter. While Harry had been getting sized, Miyamoto had picked out a simple backpack, an umbrella and a hat for Harry. Both the boots and sandals fit properly and the man had brought out a pair of dress shoes as well. They purchased the whole lot and headed back for the car.

Harry managed, “Domo ...” before bursting into tears.

“Maa-maa. Tenshi. No cry.”

Harry sobbed, “But I'm so happy. Thank you so very much. I'll be a good son. I promise.”

They quickly went to the car to hide Harry's crying. Miyamoto-sama took him on his lap, patting his shoulders and whispering soft words in his ear.

Harry was calm by the time they got home. Nomura-kun insisted on carrying Harry into the house as he was still hitching his breath a bit. The poor wakashu was jumped the second the others saw Harry.

“What did you to do him, asshole.”

“Shit, you made him cry.”

Kuma broke it up before it got too rough. “Stop! He's just too happy. Nomura-san didn't do anything. Go away! You're scaring the kid.”

Harry, put down at last, bowed to the group. “Thank you. You are ... pretty? To me.”

Since the word, bijin, meant beautiful one, they all laughed. The tension broke and Harry was led into the parlor to go through the stuff Genji-sama had stolen to see what he wanted to keep. He wasn't shown any of the jewelry as it was decided to put it back until he was older. Miyamoto-san went through the papers and declared that the Gaijin were all stupid. Who was dumb enough to leave a child on a doorstep with only a note?

“Now, how to explain him to the authorities.”

Genji shifted through the papers carefully. He exclaimed in pleasure, “Here! His birth certificate. I ... hummmm. Not hard at all. I'll just ... yes.” He carefully examined the paper. “I can do this. Everyone knows that we all use Western names without worrying about legalities. So ... you were here about the time the young one was conceived. I'll use a bit of chemical magic and remove the name of James Potter. Common name. Bah! And you sign it. Then you claim that you were unaware of the boy until someone said something about him being abused. So, you came here to find out what was going on. Found that he was being hurt by his mother's boy friend and brought him back with you, signing the birth certificate at that time. No one will question that much. We'll handle all the appropriate paper work in Nihon and there we are. Yes?”

Miyamoto smiled happily. “Yes, that will work very well. A bit of grease here and there. All questions ignored and I have a son. Good work.”

Harry, happily involved in going through his treasures, the hand held games Genji had taken from the Dursleys, had no idea how easily he had just disappeared from Britain. He was actually much more interested in the promised okonomiyaki for lunch.

.

Albus Dumbledore looked up from his paper work and grabbed his wand. “Minerva! There's trouble at the Dursleys. Hurry.”

He tossed some floo powder into the fire and stepped through to Arabella Figg's house. “Mrs Figg! What's happening?”

“I don't know. I've been keeping an eye on the boy like you asked. He's a bit on the fat side but otherwise healthy.”

Dumbledore looked at her for a second. “Fat? Well, never mind.” Minerva stepped through just then. “Minerva, what is all this?”

“Muggle Aurors. I don't like this.”

She waved her wand, transfiguring her robes into more muggle style garments and hurried out. Dumbledore settled on questioning Arabella about Harry.

“So, he's a bit overweight?”

“Yes, and he keeps his hair so short that you'd never know it was blond.” She shook her head.

Dumbledore felt a cold chill run down his spine. “Blond? What about the other boy? The dark headed one?”

“Oh, that one. You hardly ever see him. Dirty thing. Always slinking around in the shadows.”

“Oh, dear. This is not good. That one is the boy I sent you to watch. Not the blond one. Dear, dear, dear.” Dumbledore sighed. “I'll have to go myself.” His attempt at muggle garments wasn't as successful as McGonagall's. He looked every inch the eccentric.

When they went to ask questions they were both appalled to find that there was some suspicion that the young nephew had been murdered.

“Albus!” Minerva grabbed his arm.

“Calm yourself. The instruments show that he's injured in some way but not dead.” He eased off to listen to the neighbors.

This led to the knowledge that he had made a terrible mistake leaving Harry here. But his instruments hadn't shown anything. They were noodling along, clearly indicating that he was healthy and well protected. The wards were up, but failing quickly in his absence.

Mrs Figg managed to hear a bit, and, as the local 'crazy', she found it easy to ask any question she liked. She found that Harry was known as 'that Potter boy' and thought to be a delinquent, liar and thief. His discipline was discussed in vague terms that made her uneasy.

The three gathered in the kitchen to compare notes and wait until they could get to the Dursleys and ask some very pointed questions.

It turned out that they got more information quite soon, a policeman turned up to ask Arabella some questions. Dumbledore claimed to be a cousin, on an evening visit. McGonagall just kept her mouth shut and glowered. One remark, made in a thick Glasgow accent, turned the officer back to more intelligible conversation.

They found that, due to the report of a prowler from the neighbor, the knock brought evidence of a burglary and some very disturbing evidence that the nephew was a 'person of concern'. In other words, no one had seen the boy for more than 72 hours. Blood in the cupboard under the stairs and the back yard shed also raised some concerns. Arabella had to report that she hadn't seen the boy in at least a week.

After the officer left, Dumbledore flooed back to his office and brought back some of his instruments. They continued to whistle and hum merrily for a few more moments then they all went nuts. The wards had fallen and they were now reacting to Harry's true condition. Dumbledore paled. They all said the same thing, he was not in good health, but he was in no imminent danger.

Minerva sighed. “How large a ward did you establish?”

“#4 and a house on each side. I did allow for him to be able to play with his neighbours, you see.”

“Well, he has left the confines of the wards or they've fallen.”

Dumbledore waived his wand to make sure. “They've fallen. But ... I need to run a test or two, but ... wards ... hummm. If what has happened is what I fear. Well, Harry was protected from all outside influences, even my instruments. This is not a good thing.”

After the police left and they were sure that Petunia and Dudley were the only people in the house, they went over.

Dumbledore didn't bother to knock, he just walked in followed by Minerva and Severus Snape, the potions master of Hogwarts. Dumbledore had sent for him to come just before they started over.

“Severus, you have a way to tell if there is blood, and what kind it is?” The black haired man nodded. “Please check the cupboard under the stairs and the backyard shed.”

“As you wish.” He nodded to the tall skinny woman. “Petunia.”

Dudley puffed up at the sight of all these strangers. “You're not supposed to be here. You're all freaks, just like Potty. I'll tell Daddy.”

Severus just loomed over him, scowling in a manner that intimidated people much older than nine. “I am a Professor of Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not a freak. Watch your tongue, young man, or I'll pickle it. Petunia, control your sprog.”

He opened the door to the cupboard and eyed it with disgust. This was not the way he expected Harry Potter, the Saviour-of-the-Wizarding-World, to be treated. This was not the way he expected a beggar child to be treated. He opened a small vial, tapped it with his wand and muttered something. A cloud of smoke issued from the vial which he waived around, making sure that the vapor covered every surface in the small space. He waived his wand again and areas began to glow. There was a lot of glow.

“Dumbledore, you need to see this. It's not good.”

He stepped away so Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall could see. They both looked, paled and turned on Petunia.

Dumbledore said softly, “Be glad you are a woman and that Vernon is in jail. This is appalling. What on earth were you thinking?”

“That we never wanted the little freak. If you insist on dumping something like that on someone's doorstep without warning, arrangements or pay. Well, you get what you pay for.” Petunia never knew how close she got to being hexed by the greatest and most powerful wizard alive.

Minerva McGonagall wasn't so nice. “Ye besom, ye'er nor better 'an a bin howker. T' owd banger deserved ta be clapped up.” She took a deep breath, gave a little sniff and stormed out into the back yard. Even Snape stared after her.

Dumbledore opined, “Oh, my.” and followed her.

Severus glowered at Petunia then said, “Run.” and followed.

It didn't take them long to check the shed. It had some blood in one corner but the really incriminating evidence of the bloody blanket and clothing had been removed by the police. They still found enough to be of concern.

“I'd still like to know why my instruments didn't register any of this. I'm ashamed of myself. I should have come to check myself, instead I relied on Arabella and my devices. A frail straw, it seems. She was watching the wrong boy.”

He went to stand in the middle of the back yard, waived his wand around for a bit then stood with slumped shoulders. It seemed that the wards had blocked the signals to his instruments, giving the impression that nothing was wrong with Harry, when everything was wrong. All the signals had built up behind the wards and were now being recorded for magical posterity.

Snape sighed, this was not good. He had hated the boy's father with a passion, but loved the mother. He could only hope that no real harm had come to the boy. That they would soon find him. He was to be disappointed.

Dumbledore called Petunia out and gave her the dressing down of a lifetime. He actually raved at her. She just stood there with bugging eyes. The power that poured off the old man was astonishing, it also caused a heat lightening storm of massive proportions.

McGonagall eyed Petunia then held her hand out, palm to her. “May the devil damn you to the stone of dirges or to the well of ashes seven miles below hell and may the devil break your bones. And all my calamity and harm and misfortune for a year on you.” and with that, she apparated away with a loud crack.

Petunia shivered as a cold chill ran down her back.

Snape looked at Dumbledore who just replied, “I wouldn't dare.” They both cracked away and Petunia was left to her fate.

It took three weeks for the investigation to decide that there was not enough proof to charge Dursley with anything except child abuse. He was sentenced to three years confinement. Petunia was also charged but put on probation in the interests of Dudley. But she was subjected to unannounced inspections for the next four years and ordered to take Dudley to a nutritionist and anger management classes. The neighbors gossiped about that for years.  
.

Morning came and Harry dragged himself out of bed. The heat lightening had woken him up and the remaining ozone in the air was giving him a headache.

He grumbled a bit as he washed up for breakfast. He was hungry and didn't want to miss breakfast. Supper had been something called Yakisoba, noodles and stuff. He didn't do a very good job so Kuma made him go back and do it again.

“Kuma-kun, I'm hungry. I don't want breakfast cleared away before I get some.”

Kuma looked at his sulky face and laughed. “You'll get gohan. I promise. You'll never go hungry again. And that hair.” He shook his head. “I don't use hair ... stuff. But maybe one of the younger brothers will have something.” Kuma knew he was supposed to speak only Japanese to Harry but the poor kid looked so confused that he took pity on him and said things in English then repeated it in Japanese.

“Hair stuff? Like what?”

“Wax, or stuff. I don't know the name. I'll see what I can find. If you don't like it, we'll wash it out again. What can it hurt?”

Harry agreed calmly enough, especially after the promise that they would wash it out.

It didn't take long for Nomura to show up with a tin container of some waxy stuff that slicked Harry's hair back from his forehead and into what Kuma called a pompadour. Harry wasn't sure he liked it as it showed off his scar too much.

Nomura just touched it and asked, “How did you get that?”

Harry puzzled that out and said, “Car wreck. My parents were killed, I got this ...” he pointed to it, “And the Dursleys got me. Sucks.”

Kuma made him say it again in Japanese as they headed for breakfast.

Miyamoto looked up as Harry entered, wearing the Manchester United jogging suit and a pair of socks. “You look good, my son. Come! Sit! Eat!”

Harry scrambled into a chair but grinned at his father happily. “Arigato, Otousan. I'm really hungry. Um ... can I have an orange this morning?”

“Yes, an orange is good. And a nice smoked fish.” As he spoke Miyamoto put his newspaper down on the table.

Kuma brought a tray with bowls on it and put their food in front of them.

As they ate Miyamoto pointed to various things and said their names in Japanese. Harry obediently repeated the words.

“I am not sure I like that hair. Perhaps if ...” Miyamoto reached over and ran his fingers through Harry's hair, loosening the strands a bit and tugging a lock over his scar. “There! Yes, just like that.”

Harry glanced at his image in the mirrored front of a cabinet. “I like that better. Arigato.”

“Dou itashi mashite.” Miyamoto nodded to Nomura. “Take him away. Amuse him. Show him some manga. Kids like manga, yes?”

“Ok boss. I've got a Yu Yu Hakasho he might like. I'll read it to him. Start him on reading.”

“Good, good. You're his body guard. I charge you with his safety. Understand?”

“Yes, boss. I'll take good care of him.”

Nomura guided Harry out the door, chattering at him in Japanese.

Kuma and Genji started making plans to get them back home with the least amount of aggravation to Harry.  
.

Nomura took Harry into the parlor where the other three wakashu were reading manga or watching tv. “Hey, asshole, give me that!”

Nomura snatched his manga out of the hands of the wakashu who was reading it. He settled Harry on the couch by dumping the junior man on the floor with a swat. “Go read something else. I am going to read to that one. Teach him something. See?”

“Yeah, I do. But he needs a name. We can't keep calling him by his Westerner name. It's not proper.”

Harry was startled to see that the man who had gotten dumped didn't seem the least bit put out. He settled on the couch happily enough though and was pleased to see that Nomura held a comic book in his hands. “Oh, comics, I like comics.”

“Manga. Say, manga.”

Harry obediently did so and settled to look at the pictures while Nomura read to him. He was startled to realize that the symbols were a whole word, except for some, which were phonetic. He hoped he could learn to read quickly. He made a good start with Nomura, learning enough that he could puzzle out most of what the simpler kanji said.

After reading the whole book, Harry made his first real demand. “I want a Nihon name.”

Nomura nodded. “Ho-kay. What?”

“Yusuke. I like it. Ii ne Please? Kudasai?” Harry gave Nomura his best pleading eyes.

“I think so. You like it? Good, good. I'll tell the boss, if he says ok. It's good. You understand?”

Harry wasn't sure exactly what Nomura had said. But part of it was surely ask your father. Oyabun was his Chichi-ue's name. He was puzzled by all the different names for the man, surely he was very important to have so many.

One of the men got up and announced. “I'm going to teach him how to introduce himself properly. Yusuke, look!”

Harry looked up at the man and gave a tentative smile. He smiled back, revealing several gold teeth.

“You say. Hey! You assholes, listen. My name is Miyamoto Yusuke. Pleased to meet you. Be nice to me.” The slurred vowels and trilled r's made it sound even more rude than it was, but Harry thought it was wonderful.

The wakashu helped Harry learn it perfectly, even down to the proper stance; a slight bow with his right arm held out, elbow bent, palm facing his chest, left fist on his hip. When he started to bow his head, Nomura chucked him under the chin. “No! You never take your eyes off who you are introducing yourself to. It's rude. Unless you intend to imply that you don't think they are dangerous.”

Harry puzzled over that. The only bit he'd understood was 'no' and 'eyes'. He mouthed it over until he could say it. He'd ask Kuma about it later. For now he just said, “Ok.”

So it was that Harry introduced himself for the first time in true Yakuza fashion. Miyamoto Musashi was amused. He also privately told Genji to find Harry some tutors so he wouldn't talk like a common yak all the time. He also showered Yusuke with praise and gave him forty pounds. Harry/Yusuke was ecstatic.

Near noon, Kuma went to find Harry who was learning to play Hanafuda.

“Yusuke, come. We are going on the plane to Nihon. We'll be leaving in an hour. You need to pack.”

Yusuke stood up. “Ok. I don't have much to pack. It'll all fit in my pack. Help me?”

“Ok. We'll be speaking English to you to help get us through the airport as quickly as possible but don't get used to it.”

“Hai, So-honbucho Kuma-sama. I won't.” Harry grinned up at the big man who laughed heartily at this.

They packed Harry's things quickly and the boy called Kuma twice on calling him Harry.

The second time nearly sent Kuma into tears, he laughed so hard.

“Oi, tako! Wa tashi no namae wa Yusuke des! Baka!” it sounded so funny for the small boy to be saying, “Hey, you! My name is Yusuke! Idiot!” Especially as the form of you was typically yakuza rude.

“Good, good. You'll be fine. You're getting it already.”

“Arigato, Kuma-kun.” He jammed the last of his clothing into the bag. “There! All done. How soon are we leaving?”

Kuma glanced at his watch, thinking he'd better repack for Harry before they left. “Soon. About half of an hour. Give me your pack. I'll give it to one of the wakashu to carry for you.”

“Ok.”

.

The drive to the airport was quick enough, Miyamoto was glad they didn't have to go through Heathrow, their flight was leaving from Gatwick.

Check in was easy, they just handed everything to a wakashu and sat down. Harry tugged at his Otousan's sleeve. “I'm hungry.”

“We eat on plane. Ok?”

“Ok.” Yusuke watched people for a while. “How much longer?”

Miyamoto looked at his watch. “About ten minutes. We're all checked in and we don't have to go through security.” He smiled at the little boy. “Diplomatic immunity. Come on, I find you snacks.”

He got up to take Yusuke to find something to snack on but a sudden commotion down the concourse made them both turn their heads.

The next thing they knew, there was an explosion and Harry had thrown himself between Miyamoto and the concussion. He didn't realize until later that someone had thrown up a shield.

“Yusuke!”

Harry rubbed the bump on his head. “Ow! Otousan! You ok?”

“Yes. What the hell was that?”

No one had time to answer as they were suddenly surrounded by police and medics. Harry was quickly checked over as were all the group. They were declared uninjured. Their papers were examined then they were allowed to get on the plane, after Miyamoto threw one of his elegant tizzies. Harry watched in wonder as the man got his way without raising his voice or getting rude.

.

As the plane ran down the run way, Harry Potter fell asleep in his seat. He woke up Miyamoto Yusuke, son of Miyamoto Musashi, yakuza Oyabun.


	2. Chapter 2

Since this chapter is in Japan, Italics indicate English.

.

Miyamoto Yusuke woke to find someone bending over him. He cringed back, expecting a blow but the lady in the pretty suit said, “Wake. Food.” and put a tray on the support she'd pulled down from the back of the seat in front of him. She smiled at him and bowed. Yusuke smiled a bit hesitantly and tried to bow back. He did a creditable job for someone seated, especially at his age.

“Thank you.” Yusuke settled to eat as best he could.

The food was interesting; small balls of rice with bits of things he couldn't identify on top of them. There was also a small pile of paper thin slices of pink stuff, a little ball of green paste and some brown liquid in a small pitcher. A pot of tea and a cup completed the setting. He decided he liked flying, especially first class.

He glanced around, seeing his new father seated one row in front of him with Genji-san next to him. Hoshiyo-kun was nowhere in sight. He remembered hearing him say something about 'toyre'.

Yusuke managed his hashi fairly well. He'd had the good fortune of finding that Hoshiyo-kun liked kids. He knew just how to help him learn to use his utensils quickly. Yusuke still wasn't very good with rice but he was sure he'd do better with practice.

He decided to taste the green stuff first, so he picked it up with his hashi and popped it into his mouth. He gasped softly then whimpered, it felt like his mouth was on fire. He felt tears streaming from his eyes. He wanted to spit the stuff out, but he mustn't waste food.

Hoshiyo sat back down and noticed that Yusuke was crying. He shifted so he could see. “Yusuke-kun? What is wrong?” All the boy could do was whimper. “Let me see.”

Yusuke opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. “ 'S 'ot.”

Miyamoto was reading some important contracts, but he put them away at once when he heard Yusuke speak. He got up and went to him.

“Yusuke, why did you eat all the wasabi? It's not good. Here.” He took his silk handkerchief from his pocket and held it under Yusuke's chin. “Spit it out.” Yusuke obediently spit the wasabi paste into the handkerchief. “Now,” Miyamoto mimed swishing and spitting. “Rinse and spit.” He handed over a glass of water that the stewardess brought.

Yusuke took a big gulp and swished it around in his mouth. He was presented with a waste can, lined with a plastic bag. He spat the water out into it and rinsed again.

“Better?”

“Yes, Otouto-san. Thank you. Can I please speak English?”

Miyamoto patted Yusuke on the shoulder and said kindly, “Yes.”

“What was that stuff. It was really hot.” Yusuke made a face.

“It is wasabi. You are only supposed to put a little in the soy for flavor. Not eat the whole thing. Are you ok?” Miyamoto picked Yusuke up and sat in the seat, placing the boy on his lap.

“Yes, I think so. I'm sorry. I know I'm not supposed to waste food but it was so hot.”

“Not your fault. Where was Hoshiyo-san?”

“Um ... in the loo.”

“The what?” Miyamoto gave Hoshiyo a 'you better explain quick' look.

He immediately began bowing and apologizing. “I'm sorry. I went to the relievement. It is dirty by the way. I was only gone a moment. I'm sorry.”

Yusuke interjected, “Please, Otouto-san, don't be mad. He told me he was going.”

“Ah! A man must do as he must do. You are not hurt. Finish eating. Yes? And no more eating wasabi. Silly boy.”

Yusuke just smiled. “I'm sorry for bothering you.”

“No bother. You eat your food, you're too skinny.” He patted the boy on the head and returned to his seat.

Hoshiyo sighed. That had been a near thing, he was very glad he had not stopped to chat with the stewardess as he'd been half inclined to do.

“Here. Wasabi, in shoyu. Not much. Dip. See?” Hoshiyo demonstrated.

Yusuke dipped a piece of sushi in the soy and managed to get it all into his mouth.

“Mmmm, good. I like it.”

“Don't talk with your mouth full. The Oyabun won't like it.” Hoshiyo grinned a bit.

“Sorry.” Yusuke used 'warui'. “What is this?”

“That's tako. Octopus.”

“It's nice.” Yusuke addressed himself to his food, dropping conversation in favor of sushi.

.

The whole group of yakuza slept most of the rest of the flight. They'd left in the late afternoon, the questioning after the explosion had taken three hours then the 'short' wait until they could board was another two. The flight that should have taken off shortly before 12 noon was finally in the air at 5pm. No one was surprised at all, just grateful that it hadn't taken longer. But this meant that they would be coming into Tokyo at about 5am, if all went well, which it rarely did.

Yusuke yawned when Hoshiyo shook him awake. “Put your hand over your mouth. Your soul will fly out.”

Yusuke patted back the yawn. “We there?”

“Nihongo, Yusuke.”

“Um ... Warui, Hoshiyo-kun. Are we there yet?” Yusuke had the perpetual cry of the traveling child down pat.

“No, not yet.”

“How much longer?”

“Not long.” Hoshiyo glanced at his watch. “Maybe thirty minutes.”

“Ok, thanks.” Yusuke settled back in his seat to wait for the plane to land. He was tired of sitting still and waiting, but he remained patient, at least he wasn't still in the cupboard, or working himself to death. Things were definitely looking up.  
.

The landing was accomplished with a minimum of fuss and the plane taxied to the gate. People did whatever it was they did while Yusuke looked on with interest. Everything was fascinating to a boy who'd never even been out of his neighborhood.

They went straight from the plane to another. Kuma came to explain to Yusuke that they were changing planes to fly to Hokkaido where the family home was.

Yusuke was delighted by everything he saw, pointing and asking questions in his broken Nihon-do.

Nomura-kun turned and picked him up. “I carry you now. You small.”

Yusuke was now confused, there were too many names floating around for the same person.

“Onamae wa nan des ka?” Yusuke was determined to sort this out now.

“We speak English for this. Yes?” The gaki knew the little boy was totally confused, the furrow between his eyebrows told its own story.

“Ok, we won't get in trouble?” Yusuke didn't want to be in trouble before he'd even seen his new home.

“Ie. No trouble. You ask.”

“What is your name? All your names are Nomura-kun, Nomura-san, Hoshiyo-san, Hoshiyo-kun; what is it? I'm confused.”

So the man carefully explained that his name was Nomura Hoshiyo, his family name was Nomura and his given was Hoshiyo. He also carefully explained that he was just a gaki, a low ranking member of the extended family that was the Miyamoto-gumi. He also explained the meaning of kun, chan, san, sama and aniki. Yusuke listened carefully finally sorting out a few of the connotations of the different appellations. All the differences had to do with whether the speaker was of higher or lower rank than the person they were speaking to and whether they were friendly, true friends or just acquaintances.

Yusuke was satisfied and confused at the same time. He understood the explanation but wasn't sure what to call anyone. He braced himself then said, “Yes! I think I understand. Thank you. What can I call you?”

“You call me Hoshiyo-kun. Now we go to the next airplane to Hokkaido.”

Yusuke worked hard, learning Japanese as quickly as he could. Since he was a very smart little boy, he was learning very quickly. In one way he was lucky as Japanese sentence structure was different from English and a lot was left to the listener to understand from context so he could manage a whole sentence with a few words. 

Hoshiyo-kun was a lot of help and a great deal of fun. He cracked jokes in Japanese then explained why they were funny. Yusuke loved it. He even got a little loud. When he realized it, he hunkered down in his seat, expecting a smack. His Otousan came to see what the noise was about and when Yusuke flinched he just patted him on the head and said, “Not so loud, ok?”

Yusuke just nodded, wide-eyed, then whispered, “Warui, Otousan.”

Musashi just smiled and said, “That's ok. You are just young yet. You are a good boy.”

Yusuke brightened, “Arigato.”

Musashi smiled even wider. “Very good.”

He returned to his seat, well aware that his simple reprimand had frightened the little boy, also that his mild praise had pleased him a great deal more than it should. He vowed to find out who had left such a tender soul with those pigs.

The plane landed, as all planes do, and they disembarked to get on the plane to Hokkaido.

Hoshiyo carried Yusuke again, and the little boy was glad of it. He was nine, but small for his age and he still wasn't healed from his uncle's abuse. He was also still weak from starvation, although that was fading rapidly. The effects of malnutrition would take longer.

Hoshiyo kept up a running commentary in English and Japanese about what was going on. Yusuke was happy to rest and listen. He couldn't believe that a boy as old as he was needed so many naps.  
.

They landed in Hokkaido and were told they'd have to wait a bit for the helicopter that was to take them the rest of the way so Musashi decided that they should look around a bit.

Musashi was showing Yusuke the kimono shop when it happened. A man just appeared out of nowhere and attacked. He slashed at Musashi, but Yusuke, seeing the huge knife slashing at his new father, jumped from his arms right into the knife. It slashed him across the forehead, right across the scar already there.

Yusuke screamed as the pain cut through his head. Then a very strange thing happened, a thin thread of black smoke rose from it and dissipated with a faint moan. No one noticed as the gush of blood that followed was more obvious.

Suddenly, all the nice men Yusuke already loved, were not so nice anymore. One kobun jumped the man and had him in an arm lock. Another yanked a large handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to Yusuke's forehead. Miyamoto-san barked orders so fast that Yusuke had no chance of following them. He was handed off to Kuma who took him away for medical attention. Yusuke tried to struggle but Hoshiyo-kun calmed him with a quick whisper. 

While Yusuke was attended by a medic from the small clinic in the airport, the police were sorting out what had happened.

It seemed that the man was demented. He blamed Musashi-san for the death of his father, a man who had committed suicide by jumping in front of a truck. His suicide note blamed shame at being unable to pay a debt.

The medic looked at Yusuke's forehead and said, “Not bad. Not good either. I'll take a picture of him now, clean him up and take another. Sorry, but we want to make the best case we can, right?”

Kuma gave the medic a raised eyebrow. The medic just smiled a bit and said, “Maa-maa, I'm connected.” He shrugged. “My Dad needed a loan, I'm paying it off. Good interest rates, too.”

Yusuke wiped at the blood that was trickling down into his eye and sighed. It was always this way, adults didn't care what happened to him, they just talked over his head without concern. 

Kuma reached out and took his hand, “Don't touch. We need a picture first. For the Okami.”

Yusuke blinked at him, trying to sort out how to ask his question without getting into trouble for speaking English. “I ... um ... Okami?” He settled for just using a questioning tone of voice.

“Okami. Japanese Police.” Kuma shrugged, dismissing any concern.

The medic snickered softly. “Oi, you're teaching him to talk like a kobun.” He turned to face Yusuke and said, “You call police Pori or satsu. Ok? At least to their face. Right?”

Yusuke just nodded. “Hai, bosu.”

The medic put his camera away and used several steri-wipes to clean the blood off. “Ok, here we go. I'm ... chi' Baka watashi o.” Yusuke grinned at the mix of English and Japanese and stored the words away for future questioning of Hoshio-kun. The medic carefully pulled the edges of the cut together and taped them with funny looking bits of tape that he called 'chō' or butterflies. It hurt a bit but not more than Yusuke could stand. Then he took another picture. “Ho-kay, all done.”

Then a policeman came in and started asking Yusuke questions, in rapid Japanese. He didn't understand a thing the man was saying so he shook his head. The policeman took this the wrong way and started shouting at him, which only confused him more.

Then a chill, but polite voice asked, “Excuse my impertinence but ... Why are you shouting at a child that only speaks English?”

The policeman stared at the intruder for a moment then bowed, “I'm sorry, sir. But he won't answer any questions. He just looks at me.”

Yusuke decided that he didn't like Japanese police much, they were all stupid. He wondered what part of 'He doesn't speak much Japanese.' the man didn't understand. Yusuke understood that much Japanese easily, as he'd been hearing it most of the day.

The senior officer gave the policeman a weary look. “The boy is English. He does not speak Nihon. Get out!”

The office sputtered a bit but left.

The officer turned to Kuma-san and said, “I'm sorry. That one is going to be trouble. Dumb as a box of rocks.” He turned to Yusuke and said, “ Now, young sir, just tell me what happened the best way you know how. My English is good.”

Yusuke glanced at Kuma who nodded. “Ok. Well ...” And so Yusuke told how he'd seen the man and known that there was no way his Otousan could have dodged the blow. Not with his arms full of Yusuke. He ended by saying, “So what was I supposed to do, let that crazy man kill him?”

The lead detective sighed, closed his notebook and said, “No, that would never do. You're a very brave young man. Very well done. I will go now and file my report. Good day.” and with that he tucked his notebook away and left.

Miyamoto-sama came in just then and eyed Yusuke for a moment. He looked at the medic and asked, “Is he going to heal well?”

The medic nodded. “He will be fine in a few days. He's already started healing. But there will be a scar for some reason. I can tell.”

Yusuke frowned then said softly, “I'm doing something freaky. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I'll ... stop. I think.”

The medic just shook his head and frowned too. “Sorry. What did he say?”

Miyamoto-sama glanced from the medic to Yusuke then asked, “Are you double connected or just once?”

The medic rose and bowed. “Double, Oyabun. What do you need?”

“Can you do a magical test?” Miyamoto-sama flicked his eyes to Yusuke, “Without scaring him?”

“Yes. Not a problem at all.” He picked up a pen and wrote something on a slip of paper. “Oi, shut the door, you.”

Kuma just shut the door.

The medic handed the paper to Yusuke and said, “Don't be afraid, it won't hurt.” then he said, “Hajimemas!” the paper glowed bright green then turned to ashes.

“Nani?” Yusuke jumped then turned scared eyes to his father. “I didn't do anything! I swear!”

Musashi looked inordinately pleased and replied, “No, you didn't but ... you are magical. Tell me, have you ever done odd things?”

Yusuke nodded, scrunching down in his chair. “Yes, sir, I've done freaky stuff. That's why the Dursleys didn't like me. I'm a freak.”

“I see. Well, here in Japan, magic is known. Most who are not magical don't know about it, but those who do, just ignore the unusual. It's not polite to notice or comment on magic. Those who do not know of magic don't realize what they've seen and are too polite to comment. The one's who are stupid enough to see and comment get their ... um ... I do not know the word. They are made to forget.” At Yusuke's expression he said, “It doesn't hurt them.”

“Oh, ok. So it's ok for me to do ... weird stuff?” Yusuke looked hopeful.

“Yes, it is fine. Just be careful, don't do things without being taught properly. If you have an accident, it's fine. Just tell an adult if one isn't around. Now. We go home. Come.” And with that, he picked Yusuke up and walked out the door, collecting Kuma with a glance and dismissing the medic with a flick of his eyes.

Yusuke just clung to his neck, wrinkling his suit. Musashi didn't notice or care, he was just intent on getting his magical child to a safe place where he could inspect him for himself.

“We should have been on the chopper soon, but I've decided to spend the money necessary to bring us straight home. I hate port keys.” He glanced at Yusuke's curious expression. “There are several ways of traveling magically. I don't like any of them much. That is why I refuse to leave Japan except when absolutely necessary.” He smiled at the little boy's confused expression. “Your Nihon will improve more quickly if you have to struggle to understand. I don't like magic travel. Understand?” Yusuke nodded. “Good. I don't leave Japan because of that, unless I really have to. Ok?” Another nod. “So, we travel by magic called in English, port key, we don't have a name for it as we generally don't use one. Ok?” A third nod answered his question. “Now, don't be afraid, just hold the rope.” he demonstrated what he wanted.

Yusuke reached out and gripped the rope. He felt as if someone had grabbed his stomach and dragged him through a hedge. He didn't hear the sounds of distress from his adoptive father as he was a bit busy heaving up yesterday's breakfast.

Genji-san helped his boss up and into a chair, “Oyabun, when are you going to ... never mind.” He hid his smile at the dirty look he got and went to get a stomach calming tea.

After drinking the tea, both Yusuke and Musashi looked a great deal less green. Yusuke put down his cup and said, “Is it alright for me to speak English? I'm really sure that my Japanese isn't up to the task.”

His Father looked at Yusuke then smiled. “OK. I don't speak good. But we manage.”

“Thank you.” he took a deep breath then suddenly seemed much older. “I want to thank you for rescuing me. I think ... no, I'm sure Uncle Vernon would have killed me soon. But now ... I need to know what you want from me.” He bit his lip for a moment then looked at the men in the room. They all looked surprised. “What?”

Musashi sighed. “You act young. Why?”

Yusuke thought about it for a moment. “Sometimes ... sometimes it helps. I look like a baby, I'm so small, see? And people ... they look at the Dursleys funny, smacking around a baby.”

There were nods and sounds of understanding from the men. Musashi looked around. “Ok. Now ... you jumped between me and sword. On purpose? Why?”

Yusuke didn't think about that for a second. “You said you're my father, my ototo ... or is it oyagii, or something else. I'm confused about that. But you ... I just couldn't let him hurt you. It's my duty to help family. Right? Real family.” He looked confused for a moment then allowed, “I don't really think of Dumb Dursleys as family.”

“Huh! That is good. Family before all. And we are family. Just ... not blood. See. We are yakuza. You ... I want..” Musashi waved a hand. “Genji, you tell.”

Yusuke looked at the tall, slender, elegant man and wondered where he'd gotten the scar that cut from his ear to his jaw.

“My name is Genji Shinichi. I am a Fuku-honbucho, an assistant to Miyamoto Musashi, the Oyabun of this gumi. We are yakuza, gangsters. Japanese style.” He smiled at Yusuke. “You're not scared?”

Yusuke gave that a bit of serious thought. “No, you haven't hurt me. You bought me clothes and stuff and fed me nice food. Why should I be scared. The only time I got hurt, everyone got really mad.”

“Good, good. So ... what we want with you is simple. The boss, Miyamoto-sama, wants a toy child. It is a good thing to be. You will have things you want and need, tutors and teachers, food, as much as you want. The only thing you have to do in return is amuse the boss, be dutiful to the family. Do you understand?”

Yusuke bit his lip for a moment then asked, “Amuse? How? I don't know anything about entertaining someone. The only way I ever did that was ... Dudley got a lot of laughs out of beating me up. I don't ... you won't do that, will you?” His sad expression broke hearts all over the room.

“No! No, no one will beat you here. You will be punished but ... Nihongo don't punish by beating, not a child at any rate. You'll lose your privileges or have to do extra chores. By amuse, we mean things like ... sing, or play an instrument, or do art. Tell funny stories. We will figure it all out as we go along.” He caught Yusuke's unhappy face. “Tell. That face is long as a winter day.”

Yusuke blurted out. “But what if I can't do ... something that the Oyabun wants.”

Musashi just grunted once then said, “Then you cannot do it. You try something else. And you learn aikido and ninjato. No one beat you no more.”

Yusuke's smile light up the whole room. “Ok. Thank you. But ...” He glanced around the room then asked, “But who are all of you?”

He was thankful that they all refrained from a full on Yakuza introduction, they just jerked a thumb at their nose and announced their name and function.

He was introduced to Kuma, the so-honbucho, again. Then Nakajima Haruhiro, a saiko-komon, and several gaki that he forgot as soon as they stepped out of sight. There were also the wakagashira, the shateigashira and another fuku-honbucho. They rattled off their names so fast that he didn't understand them but he figured he'd get it all straight sooner or later. He also decided that he'd just call them all 'sir' until then.

Then Miyamoto Musashi surprised all his gumi, he smiled at them all and exclaimed, “Excellent! Now, we shall find my new son a room. Come.”

They all trooped after the Oyabun nearly chanting, “Yes! Yes! Whatever you say, boss.”

Yusuke soon found himself gazing into a room with no furniture. He looked around for a moment then just looked at his father for an explanation.

It was quick in coming. “In Nihon we do not clutter up our homes with a lot of useless furniture. This is your room in my house. You are also welcome in every other public room, but not private ones. You need an invitation to go in to them. Understand?”

Yusuke nodded hesitantly, he thought he understood most of what was said. He was sure he could ask questions of Kuma and Hoshio if he needed to. “Yes, father. I think so.”

“Good, good. This is your closet, your futon must be folded up and put away every morning, except when you put it out to air. Ok?” Harry nodded, eyeing the folded, fluffy mass doubtfully. “Here is your table, you can eat at it, or use it as a desk, but you must put everything away when you are done with it. This is your clothes chest.” Yusuke smiled at the chest, it looked like a set of steps with a few decorative and useful bits of pottery on it. “You will also have a writing chest with all the things you need to write with. School books and so on should be kept in it unless you are studying.” He turned firm eyes on Yusuke. “I expect you to do well in school. If you need them, I'll hire tutors for you, and you will go to the best juken in the area. Study hard, I won't have you be ignorant, as I know you are not stupid. Ok?”

Yusuke nodded then smiled happily. “I'm glad you ...” He sighed. “My Nihon is so bad. School?” At his new father's nod he continued, “I wasn't let to be smart. I got in trouble for ... being more good than my ... cousin?” Another pleased nod encouraged him. “What is juken?”

Genji answered in English. “Cram school. In this country, we value good students and education is very important. You will be expected to study hard but you will have tutors, especially at first. I think I'll also advise the boss that you have an English As a Second Language teacher. To keep your English good.”

Yusuke just grinned, “Ok. Sounds good to me.” He looked at his father and smiled again. “Thank you, sir, for giving me this fine room.” He bowed properly, causing everyone still in the room to smile proudly.

“It's nothing. Don't worry about it.” Miyamoto Musashi smiled at his new son then went to rest. He really hated port keys, they always left him with a headache, and this day had been especially tiring. He went to his room and settled on the engawa to look at the garden and think about his strong new son, a son who'd already proven his worth by saving his life.

Meanwhile, Kuma was showing Yusuke how to set out his futon and how to fold it up to put it away. He also showed him how to handle his table and open and close the shoji. Yusuke loved his room, it was very large for him at 12 ft by 12 ft, also called a six tatami room. It was floored with six tatami mats. Yusuke also learned that his outside shoes where to be taken off at the main door and soft slippers put on, these he would leave at the door of his room. He liked it that he could be barefooted in the house. The only thing that really puzzled him was wearing different slippers in the bathroom.

He knew the room was clean, it sparkled like a diamond, but Kuma insisted that it was contaminated with germs. Yusuke didn't argue, he obeyed happily. He loved it that everyone explained things to him and didn't smack him or call him a stupid freak. The only time anyone had raised a hand to him all the other kobun had jumped him. He would be recovering for a while.

.

Yusuke had been in his new home for a week and was finally feeling settled in. He settled beside his father on a zafu and asked, “Sir, why did you keep me? You told me, but I don't remember very well.”

Musashi settled himself more comfortably, changing the cross of his legs. “Ah, well, I have sons, but they're all grown up and in the business. I decided a few months ago to get myself a toy child. So ... when we found you and I saw your eyes, and how badly you were treated, I decided to keep you. See?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, sir, I see. I will do my best to please you. But ... please, what is a toy child?”

“Genji-kun, you explain, I don't want him frightened. My English isn't good enough nor is his Japanese.” Musashi shifted a bit to reach his tea.

“Ok, Boss. Yusuke, a toy child is ... a spoiled rotten brat.” He grinned, making his scar pull. Yusuke blinked at that for a moment, then just nodded. “In return for getting almost anything your heart desires, you entertain the boss. Tell jokes, tumble, play an instrument ... that sort of thing. And get good grades. Boss hates stupid people. Ok?”

Yusuke nodded. “Ok, Genji-san. I'll need lessons. Are they expensive?” He worried at his lip, small, white teeth showing against his apricot lip.

“Stop that, you'll make it bleed. And it doesn't make any difference how expensive they are. It's for the boss.”

“How come you call him ... what was it? Oyabun?”

“Ok, more Japanese lessons. We belong to a ninkyo-dantai ... a chivalrous group. We specialize in protection and services. Like laundry and cleaning services. It is very lucrative ...” at Yusuke's confused expression he explained, “Makes a lot of money. We also import ... stuff. Don't worry about it, just remember, we have plenty of money. We live a simple life here. And you'll be taught to use your magic properly. You never make a big show of it, remember that. Ok?”

Yusuke remembered the minor explosion in the main sitting room when one of the young men had used some sort of spell to light the fire pit in the middle of the room. Three different older men had spent several minutes each bawling him out and he'd gotten a smack in the head from one. But the smack hadn't hurt him much, it hadn't been that hard. It had actually reassured Yusuke a bit. So, now he just said, “Yes, sir, no big show of magic. But why not?” he peeked up at his new father to see if he was mad.

“Because magic is a precious gift and not to be ... flashed around to impress idiots and skirts. Yes?” Musashi was proud of his new son, the boy was bright and inquisitive. He just hoped the kid out grew his habit of cringing quickly. He was going to have to pass the word on that the boy was his toy-child, and quickly. Otherwise, there was going to be an incident, which he didn't want.

Yusuke nodded his understanding. “Ok, I understand. And ... um ... I was ...” He gulped, obviously gathering his courage for something.

Musashi and Genji both encouraged him with nods and Genji said, “Ask. No one will be angry if you ask a question, unless you ask the same question over and over.”

“What if I get a bad grade? Or I do something wrong ... without intending to?”

Musashi answered that one. “You get bad grade you study harder and I watch you. You do bad thing ... we discuss it. You will be punish, but Nihondo do not beat their children. Ok?”

Yusuke wondered for a moment if he'd died, this was way too close to heaven. He shook himself out of his daze when Genji made an inquiring noise. “Oh! Yes, I understand. So.” He switched to Japanese, “What would you like me to do to entertain you? I'll have to learn, yes?”

“Yes. I think I'll have you trained as the old samurai were trained. An instrument, calligraphy, flower arrangement, tea ceremony, martial arts ... everything.”

Yusuke blinked for a moment then shivered, his life had just changed incredibly. He couldn't help asking, “Won't your real sons be ... I don't know the word. Angry? But not.” He frowned a bit.

Genji came to his rescue. “Jealous is the word you want. And, no, they won't. They're older. The youngest of your brothers is 20. They all are involved in the business in one way or another. We discussed it with them before we started looking. They're ok with it. Don't worry.”

“Ok. I won't.” He changed the subject to one of his desires. This was the test that made or broke this deal for him. “Can I have a sweet? And some tea?”

“Sure, kid.” Genji shrugged his shoulders and called, “Kuma-kun, bring tea and some mochi, ok?” he turned to Yusuke to explain. “Kuma is our So-honbucho, so you ask him for anything you want. But remember, he's a very busy man so don't take advantage.”

Yusuke dropped any illusion of childishness he'd ever displayed. “Ok. So ... who's who and what do they do.” He hoped he wasn't making a mistake, his affected childishness was a shield and a weapon against his abusers, but he was taking things at face value as he couldn't see any reason for these people to haul him half way around the world just to lie to him.

“Ok. I'm Genji Shinichi I'm the wakagashira or first lieutenant to the Oyabun. Second in command. Then there's Nakajima Haruhiro the Saiko-komon. The senior advisor. We're all you really need to worry about. Everyone else is just dumb muscle, wakashu. Our organization is a bit elaborate and confusing. Just remember ... you are the son of the Oyabun, you out rank everyone but me, Kuma and Miyamoto-sama and his sons. And don't you forget it.”

Yusuke nodded. “I won't.” Kuma returned with tea and sweet bean buns, saying that there was no mochi, but he was sending for some. “Thank you so much, Kuma-kun.” He then turned to Musashi. “Sir, that man who tried to kill you ... what was his ... problem?”

“He was mad at me for something he thought I did wrong. I have to thank you for saving me, as he would surely have killed me. But the next time you throw yourself into a blade like that ... I will be greatly displeased.”

Yusuke said, wide eyed, “But I couldn't let him hurt you, you're my father. And I've barely gotten to know you.”

Genji and Musashi both threw back their heads and laughed heartily. “Hear that? He's barely gotten to know me. Priceless.”

Genji nodded, managed to stop laughing and replied, “And his head is as hard as yours. Oh, my belly hurts.” He rubbed his stomach which ached from laughing so hard.

Yusuke just sipped his tea and nibbled on a bun. Perhaps this would work out after all.

.

A month went by, and Yusuke was happier than he'd ever been. He was in a cram school to bring his education up to par with his peers, which was very difficult as he had to learn Japanese and Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana. He'd never heard of a language that had three completely different writing systems. He was struggling with it all.

He also had Koto lessons and martial arts lessons to keep up with, although those teachers came to the compound. He didn't realize that Kuma was teaching him flower arranging by having Yusuke help him with the arrangements that littered the house, every room had at least one. He had also made arrangements for Yusuke to have lessons in tea ceremony after regular school was back in session.

Yusuke was dreading that, as he knew that he was going to be horribly behind and didn't want to embarrass his new father. He tried hard and studied hard. Musashi watched in amazement as the boy quickly cast off his shyness and hesitancy. It was almost like magic. And, in a way, it was; the magic of a young boy taken from a bad situation and placed in one where he was loved, praised and helped. He blossomed like a lotus in the summer heat.

Things never got bad though. Yusuke was a quick study, and enthusiastic about learning everything he could. All the wakashu helped him with things, even sparing with him to help him with his arts. Before he started regular school, he found that he should still be attending the juken three nights a week.

Yusuke liked his Juku and got acquainted with several new friends there. With no Dudley to beat up prospective friends, he was doing fairly well. At least he had been.

Yusuke couldn't believe his headmaster had taken one look at the driver and told him to wait while he wrote a letter. He returned quickly, carrying a letter in one hand and wiping his forehead with the other. His handkerchief was already sweat stained. Yusuke took the envelope in a respectful manner and got into the car.

He refused to ride in the back, saying it made him feel lonely, so he sat in the front seat and examined the envelope until the driver got in.

Yusuke handed the envelope to the driver, who he addressed as 'aniki' or big brother.

“Aniki, what is it?” His bump of curiosity was as big as his head, or so Kuma-kun said.

“I don't know, Otouto, but it's addressed to the oyabun.” The wakashu looked worried. If Yusuke-kun had failed something, there was going to be trouble, the cram school was expensive so he shouldn't have.

“I got a bad feeling. I don't know how to say it in Nihondo.” Yusuke worried at his lip. He was sure he hadn't failed anything, he'd seen his daily sheet and his daily grades were good. “My ... this...” He pointed to the back of his neck and the driver told him the name. “Yes, thank you. The back of my neck is tickling.”

The back of his neck did more than tickle when he gave the letter to his father. He watched in dread as the envelope was opened and his father's face went from calm and serene to furious.

“What is this shit? I pay those fools good money and they tell me to keep you at home because they don't like the driver? What is wrong with them? Are they stupid?” He visibly calmed himself and called Kuma. He tossed the letter at him and said, “Go speak to that man.”

Yusuke had been thinking, as soon as he realized that he wasn't in trouble. “Otousan, why do I have to go to school at all? In England we have self-study, all you have to do is sign up for it. The student has to take a test at the end of every year to prove that they have done what they should. Do they have that here?” He thought for a moment as his father looked at him in surprise. “Why don't they want me?”

“Because I'm Yakuza. They don't want trouble so they don't want you. And if the cram school doesn't want you, you'll have trouble in day school too.” Musashi looked at Yusuke sadly. “I'm sorry, my son. I'll see what I can do about getting you into a boarding school.”

Yusuke shook his head. “No! I won't go. If they don't want me, that's their loss. As long as I can pass the yearly tests, no one will care where I'm going to school.” He thought about it for a moment. “All you have to do is ... get papers that say there's a school here in the compound. Right?” 

“Yes. I think you are right. I'll just hire you tutors.”

Yusuke smiled as his father praised him for being so smart. Encouraged by this he made another suggestion. “Why don't we see who can teach me what from the wakashu. There's no sense in paying some smart guy when we've got people here. And that way we don't have to worry about someone coming and going all the time.” He peeked at Musashi from under his bangs. “It'll keep the compound more secure.”

The compound was over 3,000 years old and had been occupied by the same 'family' all that time. It was actually incorporated as a town. The compound included the family house, a summer kitchen, forge, garage, gardens, dojo and training ground and was actually still walled. Yusuke wasn't to realize until later that it was also hidden by notice-me-not spells and wards. The road down from the valley it was situated in was hidden as well.

And so, Miyamoto Musashi spent some money, called in a few minor favors and got his old-fashioned one room school house accredited. He then searched amongst his men for teachers. He found a calligrapher, a martial arts teacher, an aikido sensei, a sumi-e instructor and several others. He was happy to realize that young Yusuke was a quick study with computers which put him on-line with Tokyo U, where he would study literature, history, math and sciences.

Yusuke settled into a routine that allowed him to get all his studies done and still have time for play, although he did look at his physical training as play. His instructors in martial arts and swordsmanship made it fun. He still wasn't too sure he liked getting up before 7am to run but he was running with his father and Genji and Kuma so he didn't say much.

One day, soon after he started his home schooling, Yusuke approached Musashi with a piece of paper.

“For you, sir.”

Musashi took the paper and smiled. It was covered with a writing exercise, just numbers and simple to write words, but it was very well done. He called Kuma in to see it as well as anyone else within the sound of his voice. They all rushed in, shouting, “Yes, Boss. What do you need, Boss.” Yusuke thought they all looked extremely funny, but he refrained from laughing at them so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. He didn't like being laughed at so he tried very hard not to laugh at someone else.

All the aniki admired his kanji, saying he'd done very well for one so young. The paper took pride of place on a bulletin board in the entry way. Yusuke proudly followed his father back into the main sitting room.

“Is it really nice? I hope so, I made my own ink and everything. Is my Nihon getting better? Kuma-kun says it is. I still have to ask for words but not so often now. The teacher at the Juken said I'm really smart and picking up language quickly.”

Kuma came in just then with tea and treats. “Oi, slow down. Breathe.” He laughed and poured tea.

Musashi chuckled a bit then said, “Oh, let him alone. He makes me laugh. Makes me feel young.” He turned to Yusuke. “You're a good boy.”

Yusuke sipped at his tea, giving Musashi a side long look. “Thank you.” He turned to face the older men more directly. “I learned a joke. Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course.” Musashi settled back to laugh at some childish joke or other. He was startled into a real laughing fit as Yusuke told one of the filthiest jokes he'd ever heard. Kuma actually pounded the table. Genji had to lay on his back to catch his breath.

Finally, Genji asked, “Where the hell did you learn that? I'll mangle the bastard.”

Yusuke shook his head. “I eaves dropped on the wakashu. Akira told it to Itsuki. What's a geshi?”

It took them a moment to figure out what he was asking. Genji finally said, “Oh, you mean a geisha. That's a lady who entertains men. She sings and dances. She has to know about politics and current affairs as she's expected to make conversation. And she's not a ... Well, she doesn't ...” Genji trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain this to a nine-year-old.

Yusuke glanced at his father who just snorted and said, “Don't look at me, you're too young for that talk.” 

Enlightened, Yusuke just said. “Oh, I see. A geisha is a lady who ... like a real escort. She's not a ... can I speak English? I don't know the proper word.” Musashi gave permission with a nod. “Whore. I know a lot of swear words. Uncle Vernon never watched his language around me.”

Kuma gave his opinion on that, “Well, we're all a bunch of crude bastards around here, but you watch your language in public. Don't swear in front of the little ones or ladies. Ok?”

“Ok.” Yusuke settled down to drink tea and eat snacks while listening to the older men discuss business. They figured he wouldn't understand what they were saying, and he figured it was a good way to learn new words. The little sponge sat and soaked up language, attitude and information.

May 5th came and Yusuke was surprised to find that the whole house was decorated with paper carp and dolls. He'd wondered why he was told to get up especially early, and that they wouldn't be running this morning. He put on a yukata, folded his bed and went to the kitchen for breakfast. He liked eating there in the corner between the engawa doors and one wall. 

Kuma welcomed him into the kitchen with a hearty, “Morning. Here, eat. It's Boy's Day and we're going shopping in Sapporo. I'll come in and help you dress. We're all wearing Hakama for the occasion.”

Yusuke smiled at this. He'd seen nearly everyone in hakama at one point or another. He was still such a low rank in aikido and Iaido that he hadn't earned a uniform yet. He was hoping to earn one by the time he was eleven. He ate his fish and rice quickly, downed his tea and hurried back to his room.

When Kuma brought the hakama, Yusuke was delighted to see that it wasn't the dark navy blue cotton of a common set. This outfit was made up of a hakama, hakama-shita, and haori and Haori himo, over all he would wear a kamishimo. The hakama-shita and Haori were all made of dark green silk brocade with parts of the brocade pattern outlined with neat hand stitching. The hakama and kamishimo were made of brocade a shade lighter and more heavily embroidered and lined with the stitching color of a delicate yellow. The haori himo was made of the same threads as the stitching. He blushed a bit as Kuma helped him put on the fundoshi, but was now used to the nudity that no one else thought anything of.

He remembered his first time in the bath. He'd walked in to find everyone naked and standing or sitting around in a medium sized room with drains in the floor. Musashi-san had helped him wash, dumping buckets of warm water over his head to wash off the soap. Then they'd gone into the baths themselves. The huge tub had already been occupied by several men who'd stood up and bowed without embarrassment. They'd all settled into the warm water and Yusuke had been delighted with the colorful tattoos that many of the men had.

“Yusuke, pay attention. Lift your foot so I can put on your tabi.” Kuma poked the boy in the ribs, making him giggle. He often zoned out, but it didn't seem dangerous so no one said much. Kuma thought the boy was just organizing his thoughts and said so.

“I'm sorry, Kuma-kun. I was thinking. How old do I have to be to get a tattoo? I want a fish ... and a dragon ... and peonies.” He examined the white tabi with interest then eyed the geta doubtfully. “Are you sure I can walk in those?”

Kuma laughed easily. “Yes, they're easy to walk in. So. Don't worry, we'll all be right there anyway. As to tattoo's, I don't know. We'll ask the Oyabun first then check things out. Now.” Kuma stood up, towering over the boy. “We better get going.”

It didn't take long for Kuma to get Yusuke into the clothing as he obediently held still, turned and held up his arms. Kuma smoothed the last wrinkle out of the front of the kamishimo, checking to make sure the mon lined up.

“There. Now we'll go so we can watch the Oyabun put up the koinobori, the flags. They're shaped like fish and show our pride in having a son in the house. There will be one for each of the sons of the house and a special larger one just for you because you're living in the house. Let's go.”

Yusuke was delighted at this and hurried to follow Kuma. He was greeted at the front door by Musashi, who helped him put on his geta. They matched in what they were wearing in that they were wearing the same outfit, but Musashi's was in bronze and green. All the wakashu who were to accompany them were also dressed in hakama in dark shades with the mon of the house on the back.

Musashi stepped back and examined his toy child with pleasure. “You look very nice. But that hair. Did you brush it?”

Yusuke tried to flatten one of his wild locks of hair. “Yes, sir, but it won't lay down. One of the wakashu let me use some stuff when we were in England, remember? I've been using it a lot, but Kuma said that I shouldn't for today. I'm sorry it looks so messy.”

“Ha, well. Never mind then. I think you'll enjoy the day I have planned.” Musashi nodded to Kuma. “A word.” Kuma stepped away with his oyabun. “Whoever it was who gave Yusuke his wax, give them some sort of reward. Ok?”

“All ready did, boss. He's taking over a small route from one of the older men who wants to retire. He's doing good. But we need to talk about the laundry and protection later. Things aren't going that well”

“Ok. Get me a report and we'll talk. Tomorrow.”

Yusuke waited patiently while his father and Kuma talked. He knew it was worrisome, as they both had lines between their eyes that said they were concerned about something. He decided to let it go for now, but he was going to help fix whatever was wrong. He didn't like it when his father wasn't happy.

Musashi took Yusuke to the main gate of the compound and raised the koinobori, one for each of his sons, situated below the large red one that symbolized himself. Then he raised the large blue one that was for Yusuke, explaining everything as he went.

Finally he said, “There. Now we'll walk down to the helicopter pad and fly to Sapporo to shop. Do you know what you want? It's traditional in this family to buy something for schooling on this day. And sweets.”

Yusuke grinned. “Yes, I know what I want. I've been using Hanabi's calligraphy set. I want one of my own. It's getting inconvenient for Hanabi-san. I don't like taking advantage. And I want chocolate, please. I never got any Before.” Everyone noticed how Yusuke seemed to capitalize before when talking about the days before he'd come to Japan.

“That's fine. A very good idea too. You do need your own stuff. I'll send Kuma to a good book store while we're there, and have him buy you more school supplies. Now.” They'd reached the helicopter now, and Yusuke submitted to being lifted into the chopper.

He was pleased to get a window seat, and spent the flight looking down on the landscape and asking questions.

Now he knew why they'd gotten up so early, it was an hour and a half flight to Sapporo. They lived on the other side of Hokkaido, between Mt. Higashi-Mikuni and Mt. Kito-Ushi. He found out that the Miamoto-gumi owned an entire valley outright, and possessed logging rights to several miles on every side of it. Their land was in a 'protectorate' designated as a renewable resource logging area. Since they used renewable resource methods, they were within their rights to forbid camping, hiking and other trespass. This enabled them to keep out tourists and pleasure seekers due to the dangers of logging. Yusuke found out that they had a lease on what they didn't own that didn't expire until sometime next century. Musashi-san told him that the land had belonged to the family since the 1200's. He was very proud of the fact that they actually did conserve the area. Some of the old growth forests hadn't been logged off in three hundred years or more.

When they landed at Sapporo, a car was waiting for them. The drive into the center of the city took only a few minutes and they were soon getting out at the main headquarters of the Miyamoto-gumi. Yusuke was disturbed to see that passersby glared at them, not all but a great many. He wondered what that was about.

He sighed, then had a sudden idea pop into his head. “Otousan, where was I going to go to school? And how was I going to get there?”

'You remember seeing that big yellow brick building near the juken? That's where. And you were going to get there the same way you got to the juken. Take a trip through the fire to the local headquarters, and a car from there. Ok?”

“Yes, sir. But ... if I can fire travel, why can't a tutor?” Yusuke didn't know how most of this magic stuff worked yet, but he was determined to figure it out.

“The ones who are magical can, the rest ... most of them are scared of magic. That's why we keep it to ourselves. No sense in causing them, or ourselves, trouble that isn't necessary. Now. We'll just walk around a bit and window shop.” As they walked Musashi told Yusuke about the area.

Finally, one dirty look too many had Yusuke asking, “Otousan, why do all those people look at us that way?”

“What way?” Musashi looked around quickly.

“Like the Dursleys used to look at me. Like we did something really bad. Why?” Yusuke wanted to understand his new home quickly so he could help his father. He already loved the man for his gentle smiles and kind touch.

Musashi scowled at a younger man who was looking at them in a way he didn't like. The man scurried away quickly. “Some people feel that we are ... an encumbrance to society. We don't fit in.” He glanced around. “Sometimes people are cruel. We greet that cruelty with equal measure. Just remember ... You are a Miyamoto. You deserve respect, demand it if you have to. Do not ever bow your neck to anyone ...except me.” He smiled down at his newest child, and was pleased to see a hard light in those eloquent green eyes.

“I won't, Otousan. I'll make you proud of me. I promise.”

They were all a bit startled by the soft, golden glow that surrounded the boy for a moment. At Miyamoto's raised eyebrow, Yusuke just shrugged and walked on. No one was quite sure what to make of that, but they'd find out in time, or the boss would, he always did. And no one was about to upset the small boy, they didn't want to lose a finger over a glow.

Yusuke looked into windows and examined points of interest for a few hundred yards, then he asked, “Otousan, why did we take a chopper if we could have come by fire travel?”

“I wanted you to see where we live. I want you to understand why we do some things the way we do. Didn't you like it?” Musashi worried that Yusuke had been air sick or frightened.

“Oh, no, Otousan, I really liked it. I was just curious. If you don't like me asking questions, I'll stop.” He nibbled at his lip, looking at his father through his bangs. He hoped he hadn't made him angry. Vernon had always hit him for asking questions. Not usually more than a slap, but even that was to be avoided from such a big man.

“I'm not angry. You're welcome to ask any question you like. I might not answer, though. I was just hoping that you weren't sick or scared.” Musashi smiled gently at his son.

“Oh, ok. No, I wasn't. I really liked it. It was fun. I've always dreamed of flying.” Yusuke extended his arms to the side, and ran in a small circle. People nearby smiled at this while all the wakashu beamed. This was the first time he'd done anything child like.

“Ah! Don't we all.” Musashi smiled again.

All the wakashu responded to this by saying loudly, “Yes, yes, so true, boss.” Yusuke looked around for a second, then dismissed this oddity as just the way things were.

Yusuke eyed the way they were dressed and the way other boys were dressed and realized that his clothing was much more expensive than anyone else's. He filed this away for later.

Now, he wanted a few things. “Otousan, I want to go to that book store and look for some manga. May I?”

“Yes, we'll all go. What are you interested in?” Musashi led the way.

Yusuke scampered after him, happily chattering away. “I want the first book in Yu-yu Hakusho, Inuyasha and Ruroni Kinshin. They all look so interesting and exciting. And, teacher said, they're about my level. He said I'm a very quick study. I'm already reading above my age group.” He skipped over the threshold, thanking the wakashu who held the door. “Thank you. So, I was thinking, I could practice my reading on something fun. Yes? And kanji is easier to read than English. I think it's because a kanji is a kanji. It can only mean one thing. English has words that look alike but mean different things. And hiragana and katakana are fun too. But my calligraphy is bad. Teacher got on me for not writing them in the right stroke order.”

Yusuke abandoned the conversation for the moment and headed for the shelves.

While he was looking over the offerings, Miyamoto called, “Nomura-kun, what has he been reading?”

Nomura wasn't sure if he was in trouble or not but he bravely stood forward and bowed. Then he explained, “The manga he mentioned and a bit of Fruits Basket, just whatever was laying around that was what I felt was appropriate. Nothing I wouldn't let my own cousin read. I kept the nasty stuff away from him. And a damn hard job that was, too. Some idiots thought it would be funny for him to get ahold of some hentai stuff. I beat them up. He's really very good about stuff, but ... Boss, he's got a streak of stubbornness that ... I really wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of him once he's older.”

“Thank you for taking care of him. Kuma-san, see that he gets a proper reward.”

Kuma just nodded. “Sure thing, boss.”


	3. Chapter 3

See 893.1 for disclaimers.

Part of this chapter seems a bit scattered but it's that way because there's no way to organize it, everything is happening all at once.

.

 

They were to find out about Yusuke's temper sooner than they expected.

Yusuke's pipping voice echoed around the suddenly silent bookshop.

“I don't care what you want. I want that book and you took it right out of my hand. That's not nice. You're bigger than I am.” Yusuke refused to jump for the book like the older, bigger boy wanted. Instead, he kicked the boy on the shin and, when he bent over, tried to punch him in the face.

“Yusuke! Yamero!”

Yusuke turned his head in startlement. “Sir?” He glowered slightly before he could smooth his expression out.

Musashi didn't take offense at that, he just said mildly, “Never punch someone with your thumb like that and never in the face. There's too much bone, you'll hurt your hand.” Musashi hurried to Yusuke. “Here. Like this.” He arranged the small fingers into an effective fist and patted him on the shoulder. “There. Now.” He pinned the older boy, who was around seventeen or so, with a look that nearly released the boys bladder. “You will let him test himself. Yes?”

Yusuke didn't waste any time in punching the boy in the stomach.

He 'oof-ed' and it wasn't all for show. Yusuke was quite strong for his size, especially as he was now well nourished. The kid had quite a punch for his size.

Miyamoto looked at the boy, one eyebrow raised slightly, and said, “You know who I am.” It wasn't a question.

The boy nodded then fled before something bad happened. He vowed to change his ways. He didn't need another run in with some mini-yakuza.

Yusuke looked up at his Otousan. “Did I do ok? I ... I liked hitting him. He was a bully and I hate bullies. My mother's sister's son is really mean. He was mean to me. I want to get good at fighting so no one will bully me again.” His expression was a little bit less than innocent.

Musashi replied to this mildly. “The word you want is cousin. I'll make sure you can fight. That's what the martial art classes are for. But, you mustn't fight just because you can. You have to have a reason. OK?”

“Yes, Otousan. I understand. Thank you for teaching me to punch properly.” He turned his attention to his book, satisfied that he hadn't disappointed his father. “I like this. Can I have a few more? There's a lot, so maybe only the next two?” He turned to the shelves to select another book

The second his back was turned Miyamoto signaled one of the wakashu. The man hurried over, bowing several times and exclaiming, “Yes, sir. Yes, sir. What do you need, sir?”

“Yusuke likes these three manga. Buy them all and take them to the chopper. Here's a credit card, return it to me as soon as you've paid. Go.”

The man hurried off after bowing several more times. He took a moment to wipe his brow, the second he'd been summoned he'd started to sweat. It was usually not good to attract the oyabun's attention when they were out and about.

Yusuke approached Musashi and said, respectfully, “Otousan, I need some money to pay for these.”

“Ah! The first lesson in being a Miyamoto. You don't pay for things. I'll give you some money but here's how you do it.” Musashi displayed all the casual arrogance of an oyabun.

Musashi gave Yusuke a handful of bills. “Now, you call someone over, give them the money and have them pay. Do it.”

Yusuke glanced around, found a younger man and called, “You! Come here. Pay for these.” He shoved the bills and books at the man, who grabbed them quickly. He bowed, knowing quite well that this young boy carried all the power of the Miyamoto family on his shoulders, and took himself off to the checkout to pay.

When the man returned, he gave Yusuke the change but kept the package of books. Yusuke nodded but didn't thank the man as he hadn't been told to. However, he did see the pleased expression his simple nod had brought to the man’s face. He copied the tilt of Miyamoto's head to a T.

He spent a few moments thinking about this then tugged at Musashi's hand. “Otousan, why don't you thank your employees? Isn't it rude?”

“No. They're not employees. They're ... wakashu. They're like apprentices.” He had to take time to explain that word. “I don't thank them because everything they do is a learning experience. They actually should be thanking me.” Again, his casual arrogance made an appearance.

Yusuke looked thoughtful for a moment then said, “Ok, but ... aren't I a student too?”

“Yes, but you are also my son. My toy child. They'll take their lives in their hands if they don't show you proper respect. Remember that.” His smile would have scared a shark.

Yusuke nodded, smiled back and walked toward the door. He still needed to find a calligraphy set. He nodded absently to the wakashu who opened the door. Miyamoto-san smirked slightly, the boy was learning quickly and this pleased him. He was looking forward to all his other sons meeting this one for the first time.

They ambled down the street, following one of the wakashu who knew where the small square called Shodo Place was. He quickly led them into the square and the wakashu took up positions where they could see all the entrances to it as well as all the shop doors. 

Yusuke took note of this but didn't ask questions. He knew that either Kuma-kun or Hoshiyo-kun would explain things. Right now all he wanted to do was enjoy the day and his shopping. He was well aware, from things the wakashu let drop, that this was an unusual treat.

He pointed to a store and asked, “Is that the ink store? I think I read the kanji right.”

Musashi nodded absently, eyes on someone in the near distance. “Yes, go in and get two sticks. One of vegetable oil and one of pine. Get good quality, there's no sense in getting something cheap.”

“Ok, do you want one of the wakashu to come with me? I'd like Hoshiyo-kun, please.” Yusuke started for the store, assuming that his father would assign the appropriate person.

At a nod of the oyabun's head, Hoshiyo followed the small boy. He made a note to remind the oyabun that something needed to be done about the boy's stunted growth.

Yusuke smiled a bit when the shop owner came out at the tinkle of the little bell. The man glanced around then down to see him standing in front of Hoshiyo.

“Yes? May I help you?” the shop keeper minded his manners carefully. Hoshiyo looked like exactly what he was, a mid-level yakuza. He wasn't dumb muscle but he surely wasn't a higher up, like a Saiko-komon. Hoshiyo just pointed to Yusuke and stood with his heel's against the door.

“I need two ink sticks of good quality. One pine soot, one vegetable oil. My father said to get good quality. What would you suggest?”

The clerk was called and the shopkeeper returned to the back. Yusuke noticed this but didn't comment on it as he didn't like the way the older man looked at him. The younger clerk was more pleasant.

“Ok, one oil and one pine ink stick coming right up. There's a nice student set, one of each, right here. They're not top quality but quite good for someone as young as you. They grind nicely and make a good ink. Here ... smell this.” He held out one stick for Yusuke.

Yusuke obediently smelled it. “It smells like burnt wood.”

“That's right and you should notice a hint of the pine it's made from. Now smell this one.” He held out the other.

Again, Yusuke smelled it. “Mmmm. It smells of oil.”

“Very good. And you'll notice that it smells of clean oil. If the stick smells rancid, don't buy it. This set of sticks is very good. But ...” he stopped speaking as he fished around in the display case for a different box. “this set is better. It's a bit expensive but the sticks are very dense and will last a long time. You actually get better value for your money.”

Yusuke waited while the clerk put the box on the counter top then reached up to pick up one of the sticks. It was heavier than it seemed it should be. He smelled it and it smelled nice, burnt pine and something else. He looked up at the clerk who smiled and said, “Binder.” Yusuke said, “Ah.” and went back to his examination.

He finally decided to take the more expensive set and put the sticks back into their box. He pushed it across the counter to the clerk then said, “Hoshiyo-kun, if you would.” and went to the door.

Hoshiyo smiled to himself, young Yusuke was already acquiring the mannerisms of a yakuza Kyoudai or elder brother. He just said, “Ok, Aniki, I got it.” He paid the now round eyed clerk and ambled out after Yusuke, smiling to himself.

Yusuke didn't pay much attention to Hoshiyo-kun calling him elder brother or uncle, he'd heard most of the wakashu call one of the higher up's that, no matter their age. He just took it as politeness and went about his business.

This business was to find brushes of his own, which he found out that his father had done for him. His father just handed him a box containing a free standing, circular rack that held 64 brushes. Musashi thought this was particularly lucky, as it was eight times eight. Yusuke bowed and thanked his father happily.

“Now, paper. Lots and lots of paper. All kinds. Please?” Yusuke tried 'begging eyes' on his father and got a gentle swat on the head. The first time Musashi had done this Yusuke had cringed to the floor, but several more times and he realized that the gentle pat was all he was ever going to get.

It had hurt Musashi's heart to do that, but Yusuke couldn't be allowed to live in terror of a raised hand. The constant touching and the sight of wakashu getting a smack finally cured him of his fears.

Now, after the swat that made Yusuke giggle a bit, Musashi replied, “Yes, you ...” He chuckled and finished, “Ouji-chan.” Yusuke eyed him for a second, knowing that something was going on but not sure what. The wakashu snickered amongst themselves, little prince indeed.

They went to the paper store where Yusuke got a quick education in the different types of paper and what he could expect from each one and what it was best used for. He bought two sheets of each kind and let a wakashu take the roll and pay for it.

Yusuke skipped a bit as they left the square, causing the wakashu to smile. “Now I can learn to write all my names.” 

“All your names?” Musashi watched in pleasure as his new son beamed in happiness.

“Yes. All my names. Miyamoto Yusuke, Harry Potter, Ouji-chan. I've got so many nice names. It's not like There where I only had boy, stupid and dumb fuck. Oh, and freak. I don't want to learn to write them.” He skipped again to keep up with his father's longer legs.

The wakashu cringed at Yusuke's words. Miyamoto-san looked like he wanted to shoot someone. They all hoped he got over it soon. Kuma resolved to find out what had happened to the Dursleys, just in case his oyabun got an idea.

The oyabun said that torture was like hunting with a flamethrower, it doesn't work and makes a mess. However, the threat of torture worked wonders on certain types of people. He also said that there were exceptions to every rule. Kuma hoped that Vernon Dursley was an exception.

They walked a bit more, until they came to an ice cream shop. Yusuke was delighted when he was allowed to pick what he wanted. He wound up with a huge sundae that one of the wakashu scorned as 'girly'. Yusuke just shrugged then remarked, “I never got any Before so shut up.” He then turned to his ice cream, ignoring the man completely. Miyamoto just glowered at the man until he began to sweat.

After ice cream, Yusuke found that his father was giving him a wonderful gift. A ring. But not just any ring, a magical one. Kuma explained, in English to make sure that Yusuke understood, that Japanese people didn't use wands like the Westerners did. He called them gaijin in a scornful tone. Japanese people used two things, rings and Ofuda which were paper slips with kanji written on them. These had to be charged and that was the true test of a wizard in Japan. Some wizards could just barely make a ring work, or an ofuda; others could conjure a ward with a wave of a hand and a toss of a bit of paper. Others depended on omamore made by a Shinto priest. An omamore, Yusuke found out, was a silk brocade tag, like a western luggage tag, that contained an ofuda made of wood, stone or even metal, blessed by a Shinto priest and sold at a temple. They could also be made by any wizard with the power to do it. Yusuke vowed to learn how to make both.

“Otousan, will I be powerful? Or just a ... common wizard?”

Yusuke worried about that while Musashi waved a hand over his head for a moment. No one was much surprised when a kanji appeared over his head. It said that he would be very powerful.

“You'll be a great wizard in time. Now, we have to get you your ring. Come.” Musashi held out his hand to Yusuke, when Yusuke took it he turned and led the way to the square where wizards did their magical business.

They went straight to a shop, which sold magical rings and other foci. Yusuke looked around with interest. There were all sorts of rings in display cases, as well as bracelets and hair pins. He also saw things he didn't recognize at all. His father called his attention to the rings.

“I think a ring. At least for now.” He helped Yusuke sit on a tall stool. “Hold your hand over this and see if anything happens. Don't worry if nothing does, there are lots of things to choose from. Your magic will do most of the work.”

Yusuke did as he was told but nothing happened. He was a bit disappointed but, after seeing several more trays, kept a hopeful expression on his face and tried again.

It took three trays before anything happened then a gold ring glowed faintly. Yusuke looked at it with interest. The jeweler took the plain gold ring out of the tray and put it on a velvet cushion, saying, “Well, that was a bit half hearted. Let's try some more.” He got out another tray and they continued to test for reaction. Finally, another ring glowed brightly. “Ah! Much better. Let's see...”

Yusuke decided he liked the ring and hoped he got to keep it. It was made of gold in the form of a stick of bamboo that wrapped around into a circle, a few bits of jade formed leaf like shapes. It was also engraved with kanji that he couldn't read yet.

The jeweler put both rings on his cushion and had Yusuke hold his hand over them. The second ring glowed more brightly than the first but Musashi decided that they'd take both. The jeweler took the rings and did something to the inner side then handed them to Yusuke. He instructed the boy to put one on a finger of each hand. When Yusuke asked which hand, the jeweler said whichever one felt best.

Yusuke put one ring on the middle finger of his right hand and one on the ring finger of his left. It didn't feel right so he switched the rings to different fingers which felt a little better. When he switched the rings to the opposite hands he felt something sort of snap into place. “Oh! I felt something. It's really odd.”

The jeweler grinned until his cheeks nearly split. “Oh, yes. This one is powerful. I even felt him bond with his rings. Excellent.”

Musashi patted Yusuke on the shoulder, paid for the rings, lifted him down from the high stool and led him out.

He stopped at the bench in the center of the square and sat down. Yusuke stood in front of him at his motion.

“Now, my son, I want a few words with you. You are not to use magic for just anything. Magic is serious business and it's easy to have an accident. Intent is ... all. If you intend harm, harm will be done. If you intend good then good will be done. Every wakashu, shatei and kyōdai will help you with anything you ask. But ... if I find you are pranking anyone, there will be consequences and you won't like them. Yes?” Musashi gave Yusuke a stern look.

“Yes, sir. I understand. I'll be good. And careful. Is there anything that I shouldn't try to learn?” Yusuke was thrilled that he was allowed to learn magic and didn't want to do anything to get the privilege taken away.

“No, but there will be things that you are not old enough to do. If you try something and have a bad result, stop trying until later. And never, ever try anything new without a kyōdai around and preferably a powerful one. I'll introduce you to the best teachers in the gumi, listen to them. Ok?”

“Yes, sir. I promise. Now, can I have more ice cream?” Yusuke decided that there had been enough seriousness for a while and returned his attention to the more important things.

Musashi threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, you may.” He just motioned to a wakashu who hurried off to acquire the treats.

While they waited, Musashi told Yusuke that he had a great surprise for him. “You like to fly? Yes?” Yusuke nodded, wondering how magic could allow him to fly. “I have gotten you an oar.  
Just like Botan has in Yu-yu Hakasho. I'll have you taught to fly. How would you like that?”

Yusuke's reaction was all that his father could have wished. Yusuke crowed with delight and jumped up and down. “Yes! I get to fly! Thank you so much.” Yusuke hugged Musashi around the waist.

Musashi just patted his shoulder and looked embarrassed at his exuberance. “Well. I'm glad you're happy. Now. Eat your treat then we'll walk around a bit more.”

.

They spent the rest of the morning just wandering around the magical market of Sapporo, looking in windows and visiting. Musashi did one bit of business that made Yusuke stare.

He stopped at a shop and spoke to a man. He kept his voice soft and his expression mild but Yusuke saw the look in Musashi's eyes, it wasn't pleasant. The shop person went inside and came out with a package which he gave to Miyamoto with a curt bow. The return bow was just short of non-existent. Yusuke wondered what it was all about but dismissed it as 'ask about later'. He was impressed with his father's methods and vowed to learn them.

He saw a tiny shop, barely wider than it's door and tugged Hoshiyo toward it. “I want to go in there. What's in here?” He looked around the shop, which was filled with all sorts of decorative papers cut into squares of various sizes and books with funny illustrations on the covers.

Nomura smiled down at his young boss's up turned face. “It's an origami shop. Origami is the art of making things out of folded paper. Here, you, show him.”

The shop keeper was an older lady who just snorted at Nomura's rudeness then quickly folded a piece of paper in to a swan then waved her hand to make it swim across the counter top.

Yusuke's wide eyes and awed expression won her over at once. “Oh! Teach me that! Please? I'm sorry to be so rude.”

His look made her snort again. “I was a Mama-san when I was young and beautiful. I'm used to his sort.” she then started pilling things on the counter, telling him, “You want to learn, the first thing you have to do is learn to fold properly. A badly folded creature won't take a spell worth spit. Now ... after you learn the simple things, take them to someone who knows how to spell them or get back here to me and I'll teach you. These two books are a good start and more than most ever learn. And I'm putting in plenty of papers. Do not refold one if you make a mistake, it won't do well. So.” she smiled at Yusuke when he jerked his head at his companion and said, “Hoshiyo-kun, if you would.” and just expected him to take care of things.

Hoshiyo just chuckled a bit and said, “Sure thing, Oujisan.” he grinned at the old lady's expression and said, “Miyamoto's toy child.” then paid and left.

The old lady followed them with her eyes and wondered at the green eyed, messy haired boy. He was already acquiring all the mannerisms of a yakuza top dog.

Lunch was a happy affair, held at one of the best restaurants in Sapporo. Musashi had ordered a Grand Banquet in the Benni-hanna. Yusuke was very interested in all the tricks the chief did, especially any with a knife. He was learning how to throw sharps and seemed to have a real eye for it.

They spent the afternoon window shopping, with an occasional purchase. Musashi spoke to a few people, stern expression firmly in place and actually scolded some man for attempting to touch Yusuke. Yusuke smirked at the man from behind his father then smiled up at him.  
.

When they got back to the compound, Musashi didn't waste much time in showing Yusuke his oar.

“Now, you are not to fly unless Kuma or Nakajima is with you. They are both very good flyers. I will take your oar if I catch you flying alone.” He grimaced. “And don't ask me to fly with you. I'm no good at it and really don't like it. Understand?”

Yusuke nodded. “Yes, Otousan, I understand. When can I have my first lesson? And ... could I just ... sit on it? Please?”

Musashi, realizing that dangling the oar in front of Yusuke like that without letting him try it out wasn't very nice, said, “You may sit on it and hover. If you can get it to rise to your hand.”

Yusuke held his hand over the oar and said, “Rise.” the oar rose into his hand like he'd been flying all his life. He sat on the oar, sidesaddle, like he'd seen Botan in the manga do. Several wakashu chuckled a bit at that but it was all good natured. Musashi corrected him and got him settled on the oar. Yusuke grinned happily as he hovered at head height.

After several minutes, he eased back down to the ground and gave his oar to a nearby wakashu. “Take care of that for me. I'm not sure where it should be but put it away properly.” then he went into the house to put away the rest of his purchases.

Miyamoto Musashi smiled after him. “The gods picked well. He's settling in just fine. And picking up the proper way of things.” All the wakashu, kyōdai and shatei agreed, loudly.

A week later Yusuke brought a well folded butterfly to Genji Shinichi. “Genji-san, will you show me how to make the wings flutter and have it fly? Please?”

“Sure, Oujisan, give it here.” Yusuke handed over the origami and watched as his friend spelled it. It fluttered its wings and flew around a bit then came back to settle in Genji-san's hand. “Now, here's how you do it. It's not hard, just the will and the way. You know what you want to do, just tell your magic to do it. Don't try to force it, that'll make a mess.” Any one who knew the yakuza would have been surprised. Genji's scarred face usually bore an expression of disdainful contempt. Now it was animated, smiling softly at the youngster he was teaching.

Yusuke wasn't sure exactly what Genji-san meant but he thought about having the wings flutter, he was very pleased when they started to flutter. Then he thought about the butterfly rising up and landing on Genji-san's head. They were both delighted when it did exactly that.

“Very good. Excellent. I have to go tell the boss.”

Genji started to get up but Yusuke cried out, “Oh, no! You can't! Please, I want to surprise him ... when I get it all right. I want to make a swarm of butterflies and a flower.”

Genji nodded, “Ok, Oujisan, I won't spoil your surprise. Why don't you tell me exactly what you want to do and I'll try to help you with it.” He patted Yusuke on the shoulder, making the boy grin back.

“Ok.”

They worked on the entertainment for an hour, until Yusuke had to go study, and again later.

Yusuke knew that he was supposed to entertain his father and, wisely, decided that he needed to find out what he found funny, what music he enjoyed and so on. He was thankful that, now that he was being tutored, he had plenty of free time. He never realized that his music lessons and other lessons in how to entertain were part of his education.

He sat down, his first thing to think about was a schedule so he could do everything he wanted to. This was one thing he'd learned, as soon as he could reason things out. If he had a schedule, even just in his head, he was organized and able to keep up. He even spoke to Genji-san and Kuma-kun about making sure he got all his studies done and chores completed in time to have some fun. He included practice on musical instruments, origami, sumi-e and calligraphy. He didn't think anything of such a busy schedule, as all the kids in juken had complained about how busy they were and how hard they studied. Japan had a completely different attitude to studying than other places, they expected their children to be busy and study hard. This pleased Yusuke a great deal. When he was Harry, he’d had to make sure Dudley always got better grades, now, reborn as Yusuke, he could learn to his heart’s content.

.

This evening, Yusuke was going to try his origami display for Musashi. He was a little bit nervous but the times he'd tried it, it had turned out very well. Genji-san was pleased with his performance so tonight was the night.

After they'd eaten a wonderful meal prepared by Kuma-kun, Yusuke settled in the place a wakashu had setup for him. The koto player started playing and Yusuke started folding. First he folded a flower out of three sheets of pink paper supported on a neatly folded upside down flower basket. Then he folded several butterflies that he dropped into his lap, one by one. A quick flick of his wrist sent them fluttering from his lap to fly around the flower for a moment then settle on it, wings still moving gently. All this neatly synchronized with the music the koto was playing.

Everyone clapped their hands, exclaiming in pleasure at the entertainment. Yusuke bowed, smiling widely.

“Thank you, Yusuke, that was very entertaining. Most pleasurable.” Musashi smiled at Yusuke. “How are your studies coming?”

“Very well, Otousan. I am learning grass script. I like it. It's very pretty. And Sensei says that I can start using a modern pen, now that I have mastered a brush. As well as anyone my age can, that is. He's very pleased with me.”

“Good, good. Now, be a good boy and be quiet while we discuss some business. Ok?” Musashi didn't see anything wrong with letting Yusuke sit in on business. He'd brought all his sons into the business in this way.

So Yusuke settled next to his father to listen. He'd done this several other times and enjoyed it. He had listened to Vernon hold 'court' with Petunia, explaining various things going on at Grunnings. Yusuke never understood how a man who was so good at getting the best out of his workers at the factory and so good with contracts and such could be such an idiot at home. It completely baffled him. He'd learned a lot from his eavesdropping.

Now, eavesdropping brought him bolt upright. He exclaimed, “But, if you don't allow ... I mean.” He glanced around at the kaikei and the shinsiin sitting around the table. One of them scowled at him but Miyamoto glared back at him then turned to Yusuke and asked, “What were you going to say, my son?”

“I'm sorry I interrupted.” He bowed from a seated position to the man he'd cut off. “But, if I understand right, you're charging for a service but not providing it. That doesn't make sense, what with the prices you're charging. Just provide the service, cut your charges by ten percent and live with it. Also, hire some people to run the ... what did you call it? The laundry thing. People who know what they're doing and will do it right. No laziness. Perhaps hire some of the older wakashu who want to retire and can't afford to.” Yusuke glanced at his father for some sign of approval.

He got more than that. No one realized it but Yusuke was now ten years old as his July 31st birthday had passed without recognition, Yusuke wasn't even aware that it was his birthday. So now, the great hidden Oyabun of the Miyamoto-gumi of the Yamaguchi yakuza turned one of his minor, local businesses over to his ten year old toy child. 

He simply shrugged elegantly and said, “Yusuke-kun, you run it. I'll assign Nomura-san to you as primary, he'll be your wakagashira. You give orders, he'll see that they're carried out.” He glanced at the men who had displeased him from under his eyelashes, they all looked extremely put out. He also noticed that Yusuke was drooping a bit. “You look tired. Go to your room and rest, on your way, send Genji-san to me. He's on the engawa as he can't stand this bunch.”

“Yes, father. Good night, sir.” Yusuke got up, bowed and left to find Genji.

Genji laughed his ass off for about three minutes then got up to go inside, saying, “You got it, little boss.”

Yusuke decided that all adults were crazy in one way or another and went to his room. He put his futon out and covered it with his sheets and heavy kakibuton or comforter. He put his desk out and settled sizu on the bed to work on his lessons. He decided not to risk staining his bedding with ink by doing any writing with a brush so he got out a work book and a pen and worked on stroke order instead.

.

A few days after he was appointed the new supervisor of White Flower Laundry, Yusuke showed up at the factory to see what was wrong there.

He walked in wearing a pair of chino cargo pants, a plain green t-shirt and trainers. He was accompanied by a kaikei, or accountant, a shinsiin, or lawyer and two kyōdai. Nomura backed him up with a grim face and body guard stance. One kyōdai stayed with the accountant and the other with the lawyer.

Yusuke wandered around the plant with Nomura-san by his side. He asked questions in his little boy voice but they were insightful and intelligent. No one realized that he had practically run the Dursley household by himself from the time he was old enough to stand up. But everyone he spoke to remarked later on his shrewd gaze and politeness.

Yusuke had learned Before that politeness got him more than being rude. Dudley would demand things in the store and stomp his feet and scream. Petunia would usually grudgingly buy him something but polite little Harry, standing peacefully off to the side was almost always rewarded by a bystander with money, treats or at least a remark on how nice he was being.

So, he approached a man and asked, “Excuse me. Why aren't you using that machine?”

The worker glanced at the mangle and said, “The mangle? It's broken, has been for months. We really need it too. It makes washing the big stuff like sheets and big table cloths easier but the boss won't fix it.”

Yusuke looked at the ferocious looking machine then at Nomura. “Get it fixed.” Nomura just made a note in his day planner. “On it, boss.” he didn't know how or who but he was sure that someone in the front office knew.

While Yusuke had been wandering around in the factory, hearing tales of woe; from broken essential machinery to under staffing, the lawyer and accountant had been examining the books and contracts stored in the manager’s office.

The manager was old school, in that he was liable to cheat on his kick backs, payments to the bosses, and also skimmed off way too much of the profits. He also skimped on necessary repairs and managed to alienate most of the people he provided services to. Since he'd taken over, the business had lost 30 percent of it's customers and 50 percent of it's profits. The customers who hadn't just refused to remain with the service were holding out on their payments.

Then Yusuke showed that he held a maturity beyond his years by turning to the accountant and lawyer and asking, “Ok, now what? I know what I want to do but not how.”

Their best idea was to dismiss the manager and put the assistant in his place, fix the machinery and send a few kyōdai out to speak to the customers. Yusuke agreed but insisted that the kyōdai apologize for any misunderstanding between the company and them and make things right. Then they were to get proper laundry at a ten percent discount for six months. He also said that the customer was to be told that, if they had any other problems, they could come to him personally.

Yusuke then made arrangements with the lawyer to take appointments in his name. He found out that he actually had an office in the local headquarters. And in the main headquarters in Sapporo. He was a bit disgusted to realize that the only time he had to take appointments was on Saturday mornings.

Yusuke now added appointments with dissatisfied customers to his schedule. It did help that, in an emergency, he could tell a tutor that he had such an appointment and put off a lesson until later. He knew quite well that it wasn't a good idea to do this for no reason.

And so, Miyamoto Yusuke started his first business.

.

This business led to the first heart break of his young life. He sent Hoshiyo to collect his cut about six months after he took over and the new manager took exception to something. His body was apparated back to the compound and landed on the engawa with a thump.

Yusuke, at nearly eleven, took one look and shouted for his father.

Miyamoto-san arrived at a run, his yukata off one shoulder. “What is it?” then he saw the body. “Son of a bitch! Yusuke, go to your room. You don't need to deal with this sort of mess yet. Scat!”

Yusuke scatted obediently. He really didn't want to see his friend covered with blood and sprawled over the apparition point on the engawa. He tossed a zabuton on the floor and knelt on it. He ran through a meditation technique that one of his teachers had taught him to calm down then he thought about what they should do. He was still included in business meetings and eavesdropped shamelessly whenever he could. He had some ideas but he decided to wait until his father and oyabun discussed this with his advisors. The saiko-komon would all be summoned over this, he was sure of that.

He was right, Miyamoto-sama called every saiko-komon and Shateigashira in the Miyamoto-gumi. He gave careful, soft voiced instructions then hung up. He was beyond angry. No one – no one messed with what was his. Not if they wanted to remain healthy. He had 'retired' to this valley to enjoy life after 60 years of managing the Hidden-gumi. His sons now ran it.

They were the people who backed the people who ran the Yamaguchi yakuza. Some people called them ninja. This made him laugh. Ninja! Really. But, if it helped people understand what they really were, he didn't care what they were called.

Now someone had killed one of his own. He didn't like it. And he also didn't like how upset Yusuke was. He knew that Hoshiyo-san had been Yusuke's right hand, his wakagashira. This required careful consideration. Information gathering first, then complete annihilation.

He went to find his newest son. He found him where he expected to. He did not, however, expect him to be calm, coldly so.

“Yusuke?” Musashi settled on a zabuton that had been set out facing Yusuke.

“Yes, Oyabun. How may I serve you?” Yusuke bowed to the floor, kowtowing to his superior. He'd been hanging around in the main living room as much as he could, soaking up the proper ways to behave. He wanted something very badly and was sure that he was going to have to pay for it. He didn't mind. Hoshiyo was one of his and he wanted revenge.

“Tell me what you want and quit all that foolishness. It's good that you're willing to follow proper manners and all that but ... not with me. We're family. So speak to me.”

Yusuke called for tea, which was brought by one of the youngest of the gaki. Yusuke poured tea then sipped for a moment. “I want revenge. Hoshiyo was mine. My friend, my second, my advisor. I want to know why they killed him. I'm pretty sure I know who. Or at least who ordered it.” Yusuke scowled into his cup.

Musashi shifted to a more comfortable position. “You know who ordered this?”

“Possibly. Kato was not happy with the size of his cut. He made a few vague threats. Really vague one's. But ... I got a letter from a minor Shateigashira of the Saburo clan. He was threatening a takeover. Do you think this might be his first move?” Yusuke's inquiring expression warmed Musashi's heart. Yusuke was showing proper respect to him as oyabun and to his Wakagashira.

“Possibly. I have my people looking into this. It won't do to go off half cocked and whack the wrong man. We want to get the right people, and we want to make them sweat.” Musashi sipped his tea waiting for any questions Yusuke might have. When none were forthcoming he nodded. When he held out his arms Yusuke crawled into them and wept.

They had the funeral three days later. It was a very small ceremony as Hoshiyo didn't have family. He was cremated and the ashes put into an urn. The urn was put into the crypt the family maintained for anyone who had no one else to see to their afterlife. It was attended by a Shinto priest at all times. This priest offered the proper prayers and Yusuke paid him to say special ones for Hoshiyo every day. They sealed the crypt and left.

.

It took three weeks to gather all the information and another to make plans.

It seemed that the manager wanted more of a cut and couldn't see why Yusuke got any at all. He was unaware that Miyamoto had given the business to Yusuke as seed. He had decided that he, Kato, was more deserving of the business than Miyamoto. After all, Miyamoto had a huge organization which produced a fortune every month. He felt that turning the business over to the Saburo gumi was just good business. Little did he realize that this decision was the worst of his life.

While his father had been getting to the bottom of the affair, Yusuke had been carefully preparing himself to deal with what he needed to do. He'd spoken to each of his sensei and received extra training. He'd also spoken to the gaki. They'd taught him things too.

One in particular was interesting. He'd been sitting in the big living room, playing Hana Fuda when a young gaki offered him a cigarette, another man had smacked him for it. He'd looked so down that Yusuke had accepted the cigarette. The result of his first drag had been less than satisfying. His coughing fit left his eyes watering. But he'd tried another, then another. By the time he got to the end of the Djarum Coklat, he decided he liked the smooth, clove scented thing. He calmly stole the rest of the pack.

He displayed a strange aloofness to those who weren't in the inner circle of the gumi. Musashi watched this without pleasure. It was one of the disadvantages to being who they were. It didn't pay to be too friendly with just anyone. It gave enemies leverage. Yusuke was too young to have to learn this, but it was too late, he already had.

He had always had a gift for being still and silent. It had saved him many a beating at Vernon's hand. Now he used it to remain unobtrusive, he found out a lot that way.

In this case, he found out that the Saburo gumi wanted to encroach on Hokkaido. They wanted to push their way into the rich area that the Miyamoto-gumi controlled. Unfortunately for them, the Yamaguchi clan held the whole island with an iron hand, Miyamoto's hand. His tiny laundry business was the toe in the door. A toe that was about to be chopped off.

Kato was the first to go. Miyamoto sent his finger to Mitsubishi Kiniichi. Kato was still alive, less all of his little finger.

He'd willingly cut it off as yubitsume, an offering of apology for his error in betraying his family. Miyamoto wasn't usually so forgiving but Yusuke asked for Kato's life and got it. No one was quite sure exactly why he'd done it, but the cold, distant expression on the young boy's face made even some of the most hardened men flinch. He was up to something.

Yusuke put Kato in the motor pool, driving low level collections agents (knee breakers) on their rounds. He didn't say anything much to anyone, just kept his head down, eyes on the ground and did what he was told.

Yusuke listened in on more business meetings now. He learned about smuggling and loan sharking, protection rackets and gambling. His clan didn't deal in drugs or whores. He worked hard at his business, his studies and his ninjado. He was just beginning to get into jutsu and was nearly ready to be given his first real sword. He was learning so much faster than anyone had expected that they were all taken a bit by surprise.

They were also very surprised at how powerful his magic was. They'd found some sort of block on it when Musashi had brought in a healer to look at him. They'd removed that block and some other, unidentifiable, curses. The healer thought that the block had actually strengthened his magic, but said that constant suppression would have made it weaker after a few years. Just like constant starvation had stunted his growth, he was still taking potions for that.

During the month of preparation for the first strike on the Saburo gumi Yusuke gave his first recital of koto. Otousan was very pleased with his accomplishments and loved the rendition of Sakura. This was the first tune most koto players learned but Yusuke had learned several versions of it and played them in order of difficulty. His teacher admitted that the hour of practice he committed himself to, had paid off. No one except Musashi realized that Yusuke was an insomniac who stayed up until after two in the morning most nights and still got up at six. 

His schedule would have driven a grown man to his knees. He got up at six, ran with the gaki assigned to him, did kata then yoga for two hours. A quick shower saw him ready for breakfast at 8:30 am. He had tutoring from 9am until 11:30 with different subjects every day. After a good lunch, he studied for two hours then went into the living room the gaki used and managed to entertain himself for the three hours Musashi insisted he use for relaxation.

This relaxation usually took the form of lessons in how to be a yakuza, although no one really realized this. The gaki told him stories of their adventures in collecting loans, beating down other gangs, or gumi, and wild tales of racing motorcycles and drifting. They also taught him Free running, taking him to Sapporo and Obihiro to run the streets. Everyone knew that Musashi knew what they were doing but he wouldn't interfere unless Yusuke was in some sort of danger. He watched from the shadows as Yusuke returned from these runs happy and smiling.

So, while the wheels turned, Yusuke carried on with his life. No one realized that Yusuke took in everything like a sponge, and he turned his lessons to the problem at hand and made plans for himself. Plans he would put into effect when it was time. If he'd learned anything at the hands of the Dursleys, it was patience and planning.

Musashi watched all Yusuke's activities with some amusement. The boy was turning out to be much more fun than he'd expected. He'd blossomed under the attentions of the gaki, kyōdai and wakashu. He ordered them all around like the oujichan they called him. The young brothers, the shatei, loved him. The older brothers, the kyōdai, taught him useful things and treated him with respect. The foot soldiers, gaki, and the new recruits, wakashu, all followed him as if he was really an oyabun, the top boss. He thought back on everything and wondered what he'd gotten himself into. He was looking forward to the excitement.

Genji also watched. The last month had been a wild whirl of work for him but he took time out to watch young Yusuke. The boy was a machine that never stopped, he thought it must come from living with those Gaijin. They'd worked the kid into the ground and the only thing that had kept him going was his magic, blocked though it was. Now, he had plenty of good food, his magic wasn't blocked and everyone sucked up to him. Either because they wanted to be on his good side when he grew into his station or because they wanted to get on Miyamoto-oyabun's. It was amusing.

.

This meeting was not going well by anyone's standards. They'd been watching Mitsubishi Kiniichi the oyabun of the Saburo's. He was holed up in his private compound down near Kyoto and didn't come out for much of anything. This was nothing new, he'd been a near hermit for over 10 years now. But it was very inconvenient, even their best ninja couldn't get near him.

Everyone assigned to the project was reporting failure. They couldn't find a way in, nor a way to lure Mitsubishi out. They were reviewing everything in hopes of finding something.

Yusuke thought about everything he had heard then asked, “Where does he go when he does go out?”

The gaki who had followed Mitsubishi was still sitting quietly by the side of the room. He rose, bowed and settled near Yusuke. Treating him like a Fuku-honbucho he bowed again, cleared his throat and said, “He goes to a gym, but he has at least ten men with him there. And none of them work out with him, they all guard the entrances, even the windows are watched individually. He also goes to a karaoke bar ... same thing there. Most of the other customers usually leave the second he comes in. He's a horrible singer, sounds like someone's strangling a cat, so they leave. The only people who stay are suck-ups of one sort or another.”

Yusuke frowned and all the low level men cringed. They'd all seen examples of the boy's temper, and it wasn't pretty. He never exploded, yelled or hit, but he could cut a person to the bone with a few words. They all knew where he'd learned that particular behavior, he was just like Musashi, in fact, he used most of the same expressions, strung together differently and interspersed with some profanity that he'd picked up from the wakashu. It didn't matter that he'd copied his father, the fact that they always deserved it and were getting it from an eleven year old was what mattered. That cold, jade green gaze was unnerving coming from one so young.

The gaki trembled, bowed to the floor and whimpered, “I'm sorry, kumicho, I did the best I could. He's hard to follow, has eyes behind all the time.”

Yusuke glanced at the man then eased his fears. “I'm sure you did your best. I'm just ... does he go anywhere else? Anywhere at all?”

The gaki nodded, “Yes, Kumicho. He goes to the sumo and to a geisha house. He likes the real ones, not whores dressed up in kimono. I did manage to overhear a few things by hanging around his guards. He wants conversation, not ...” realizing how young Yusuke was he stopped talking. “Um ...”

Yusuke, inured to sex talk by listening to the wakashu and gaki, just shrugged. “I don't need details, he's not interested in fucking, fine, what does he want?”

Musashi shared a look with Genji but didn't interrupt, this would be dealt with later. He nodded to the gaki, who was looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

Yusuke didn't realize that Musashi still had control of the session so he bopped the gaki on the head. “Hey! Pay attention. Get on with it.”

“Sorry, Kumicho, sorry. Yes, yes. Um ... he wants someone to talk to that doesn't agree with everything he says. Someone to ... discuss things with that won't blab. So he goes to this house. The Pink Lotus, it's called.”

Yusuke snorted. “How original.” his distain was obvious by his expression. He motioned for the gaki to go on.

“Yeah. Original, about three hundred years ago.” the gaki agreed. “So ... he goes there, but none of the men are allowed in. They surround the place like the Imperial Palace though. I couldn't get near. I pretended to have an appointment but they nearly beat me up. I left before I made too much of an impression on them. And that's all I can tell you.”

Yusuke asked questions about what the house was like. Was it new? Or old? Modern? Or traditional? After nearly half an hour of close questioning by Yusuke, Miyamoto, Genji, and several others, the poor gaki was dismissed, a sweating, trembling mess. He scooted out, scrambling on his toes without rising from a squat. This was not as awkward as it sounded as most Japanese people did it, it was easier to move a short distance this way instead of rising to their feet then squatting again. He slid the shoji closed and settled to wait a while in case he was needed again.

Yusuke motioned to a wakashu who approached him carefully. “Get that man a drink and give him some money. Otousan?” Yusuke turned to Musashi for help. “How much?”

“8,000 yen would be appropriate.” This was a bit on the low side for so much work but Musashi wanted to see what Yusuke would do.

“Give him ten, with my thanks. And give him the good stuff, not some knock off.” the wakashu started to leave. “And bring me some smokes.”

“Ok, Oujisan, right on it.” the wakashu hurried out to give the gaki his money and a stiff scotch.

He returned to bring Yusuke his cigarettes. “Here you go, Kumicho.”

Yusuke took them with a grunt, making the man smile. Musashi smiled too.

Yusuke fumbled a bit then handed the pack back. “Open that damn thing.” He returned to his thoughts while the wakashu not only opened the pack but lit one. He took it without comment and dragged on it.

Musashi waited for the kid to start coughing. He thought Yusuke was just showing off for the older crowd. It turned out that the kid smoked like he'd been doing it for years. All the older men made faces as they realized that he was smoking kretek, clove cigarettes.

Yusuke delicately picked a fleck of tobacco off his tongue then looked around. “What? You never saw someone smoke before? Turn your attention to the matter at hand, not my private concerns! Idiots.”

Musashi just snorted, trying very hard not to laugh. “Someone get him a case and see that it's always full. Put a spell on it, if you have to.”

Yusuke bowed to Musashi. “Thank you, Otousan. I'm thinking. But ... it won't jell, for lack of a better term. I'm going out to free run ...” He rose, then seeing the confused expressions on several faces, he explained, “It helps me think.” He glanced at Musashi. “I'd like to go to Hakodate, if that's ok. There's a parkour park there. I'll take some men with me.”

“Fine. You do what you want. But I don't want you going anywhere without at least ten men with you, and not runners. Ok?” Musashi had known he ran and didn't object. He did object to Yusuke putting himself in danger by not taking sufficient guards with him. Mitsubishi's example had reminded him how dangerous life could be.

One of the reasons he'd retired to the compound was that he was tired of being shot at.

Yusuke gathered a group of wakashu and gaki around him. He pointed to several. “You're guards. No running. Got me?” Nods greeted this proclamation. “And you.” He pointed to the best runners in the group. “Run with me. We'll go to that park in Hakodate. Father said not to go unguarded. If there's too many people there for it to be safe, tell me and we'll go somewhere else.”

They found that the park was nearly empty as most of the people who would be there were either at work or school. The employees looked at them askance but a few glares sent them back to their work.

Yusuke insisted that they use a section of the park that was empty of even employees, telling his guards that it made it easier on everyone and would make them welcome the next time they came. No one bothered to tell him that it wasn't necessary. He thought it was and that was enough. He was rapidly earning the title of kumicho that had been bestowed on him.

Yusuke indulged himself in an explosion of activity called free running, or parkour. He ran across the blacktop full speed, hit a wall feet first then backflipped off it, spinning several times before his feet hit the ground. He used every move in his now considerable bag of tricks.

His leaps and vaults could have used a bit more height, but they got him over the obstacles. His wall spins weren't as crisp as they could have been but he didn't fall. His kongs were good, his nimbleness making them sharp while his cat scrambles were excellent and garnered a flurry of cheers. He worked on getting a better spin on his front and back flips but enjoyed over and under's as his small frame kept him from getting jammed in the bars of the equipment. He enjoyed the freedom of movement and let his problems go for a while.

When they were done, collapsed in sweaty heaps on the benches, Yusuke started stripping off his equipment. He wore fingerless gloves to protect his hands from the rough concrete and heavy, long socks for the same reason. He'd gotten special free running shoes with thin soles to help him feel the terrain. He dumped all this off on a wakashu and demanded a smoke and a bottle of green tea. These were handed to him almost before he asked, the cigarette was even lit. He grunted once then took a drag off his cigarette.

He glanced around at the men lounging here and there and the others still on guard. “Ok, I'm thinking out loud. If I say something incredibly dumb let me know. OK?”

A flurry of 'Yes, Boss' and 'Sure thing, Boss.' greeted this so Yusuke began, “We need to get to that asshole, right? But he's guarded like the Emperor. That means we have to get to him outside his home place. That leaves the gym, which is impossible. The bar, again, impossible or the Pink Lily. No, Lotus. I need to know more about that. Mostly about the layout. Can we sneak in somehow?”

One of the wakashu interrupted him, “Sorry! I was one of the guys who checked that out. There's no way. They put men on all the rooftops, at every way in and even on the windows. There's no one else allowed in the house either. Ol' Man Kiniichi rents the whole thing for the night. The ladies that don't work that night get it off, as long as they leave the building. He's not actually a pervert as he doesn't have sex with the geisha. Not that that house would let him anyway. But he likes teaching the young girls how to go on with an older customer. Thinks he's helping or something. Most of the girls can't stand him. He's not very clean, he stinks of sweat and doesn't know what a tooth brush is for. But, he pays well and those girls are the real deal so they're always broke. Kimono costing what they do. And wigs ... and I don't know what else.” He leaned back against a wall and drank his water, leaving Yusuke to think about this information.

He absently watched a gaki as he did tricks with a paper folding fan.

Yusuke watched until the man asked, “You like? I'll teach you. My sister does this sort of stuff at a tourist attraction.” several men brightened but he snarled, “Don't go getting ideas, idiots. My sister is a good girl and doesn't want anything to do with a bad seed like me. She just tolerates me for mother's sake. Mother doesn't know what I do for a living.”

Yusuke just ordered, with all the casual authority of someone much older, “Leave his sister alone. But keep an eye on her. Friendly like. She doesn't get trouble from anyone. Got it?” a chorus of 'Sure thing, boss.' answered him.

So Yusuke started learning fan tricks. This was all done rather absently as he seemed distracted still. The gaki didn't make any protest, if he could garner a bit of face with the Oujisan that was all to the good.

Yusuke suddenly dropped the fan with a blank expression on his face. He stood still for a moment or two then barked, “I got it. We need to go to Sapporo. Get me something clean ... no, never mind, we'll go home first and clean up. Come on.”

They all scrambled to keep up. Not physically, Yusuke was still small enough that his flat out run was no more than a fast jog for the grown men, but mentally, they were scrambling fast.

One of the guards opened the 'gate' for them and they stepped through into the compound. Yusuke was still young enough that he wasn't trusted to apparate, which he hated anyway. But the Miyamoto family was powerful enough to be able to maintain a portable gate which Yusuke used to get from place to place. One of the gaki apparated to where ever he wanted to go, set up the gate then took it down again when they were done with it. He was also on call to most of the highest ranking members of the gang. Yusuke referred to most of this group as the Miyamoto-kazoku, or family.

Yusuke went to his room, found clean clothing, then went to the big common bath. He had a small basket of toiletries with him. It didn't take him long to get clean and he didn't linger long in the soaking tub so he was dressed and ready when everyone else was. He handed his toiletries over to a wakashu to return to his room for him and went to find out who was going to go with him to Sapporo.

He wound up with fifteen men that Genji-san picked for him. He had realized quickly that Hoshiyo had done all that sort of thing for him, now he was going to have to learn to do it himself. He watched while Genji picked, trying to see what Genji saw. He wasn't sure about how the choices were made but he stored what he could away for later consideration.

He submitted to being apparated to Sapporo headquarters as Musashi needed the gate. It didn't take them long to walk to the origami shop Yusuke wanted to visit.

The old lady was there, as she always was, sitting behind the counter watching people walk by.

“Hello, Mama-san. Do you remember me?” Yusuke bowed slightly.

The lady nodded. “Yes, I remember you, young one. What do you want?” she settled back for a good listen. She might be retired but she still had connections. All the geisha in Sapporo bought their papers here and gossiped with her.

Yusuke grinned at her, a very different smile from what she expected. “I want you to teach me to be geisha.”

 

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in order not to interrupt the flow of the story I didn't describe most of the moves, if you're interested there are several really good videos on YouTube, just search for parkour or free running. In real life there is some difference between parkour and free running, to my eye they are so similar that whatever difference seems to be in philosophy.

Due to recent changes in Fanfiction.net's site, if you do not permit Private Messaging, I cannot reply to reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

The old lady blinked at Yusuke for a moment then sat down heavily. Her blank, “You want me to what?” left Yusuke smirking.

“Obaasan, I want you to teach me everything you know about being a geisha. And I'd like to know your name please.”

“It's Omanami.”' she shook her head, waving one hand in negation. “Wait! Wait! You ... but ...” she took a deep calming breath and demanded, “Ok, never mind ... start at the beginning.”

So Yusuke explained exactly what he wanted and why. He didn't know why he knew he could trust the old lady, but he was sure he could.

When he was done she just nodded. “Ok, you got it. My son is one of your customers. He doesn't like that other bunch.” She used a disdainful word and insulted the gumi even more by refusing to use their name in combination with the insult. “He says you made everything good again and that they would just cast a cat amongst the pigeons. So. You're going to do something I don't want to know about to someone, I don't want to hear their name and you want my help.” Yusuke just smirked a bit and nodded. “Ok, here's what we'll do. You'll bring me to where ever it is you live. I'll tell anyone who needs to know that I've been invited to vacation with an old customer. Then we'll train. You'll never learn to be a real geisha without a lot of work, years of it. But in ... a month, I can teach you to fake it enough to make it through a night. Ok?”

Yusuke nodded. “It'll do. Omanami-san...”

He was interrupted by the lady who just said, “No, don't call me that. That was my geisha name. I thought it might mean something to you. My name is Maiida Midori, call me that. Now, I need a few days to make my excuses and find someone to run the shop. I can manage it in four days. OK?”

Yusuke glanced at one of the gaki. He nodded and said, “I'll find someone we trust to run the shop. Won't be hard, there's lots of guys on the 'want to retire' list who'll do it for the experience. As to anything else ...” He glanced at Maiida-san and said, “You'll be wanting kimono and wigs?” she nodded. “We got kimono of all sorts, antique, modern, anything we might need from the skin out. The Oyabun's sister collected until the day she died.” with that he subsided, smiling a bit. He remembered the oyabun's sister, Sakura, with fondness. She'd always known about the family business and didn't worry overly about it. She just went about her cheerful way. Everyone had loved her.

Yusuke glanced at the man and thought, not for the first time, that gaki were much more than common knee-breakers. At least, some of them were.

He issued general orders and let the men take it from there. He had learned at Musashi's knee that micro-managing was not a good thing.

.

Genji-san watched all the going and comings with interest, then went to speak to Musashi. He was realizing that Yusuke was more than just some toy child. This kid was good already and getting better every day. His control of magic was terrific, he could do spells that gave some adults trouble. He was also sharp as a new knife, and soaked up information like a dry sponge. The fact that he could apply it better than half the upper class yakuza under his, Genji's, control was nervous making. He told his oyabun that they'd better put a good crew together for Yusuke before he put his own together and wound up with a bunch of knot-heads.

Due to the vast nature of the gumi, it had several kumicho, under Miyamoto's direct control, instead of the one that was normal. Each kumicho had three Wakagashira who had two shateigashira under him along with assorted fuku-honbucho and so-honbucho. Everyone thought each kumicho was an oyabun and they kept it that way. The Yamaguchi yakuza had a finger in every pie in existence, but they hid many of their operations by their organization. There were actually people who thought Miyamoto dead. He wasn't about to enlighten them, it was much more convenient to rule from the shadows. Much less trouble too. He dealt with a few old 'friends' himself but the rest of the business was managed by his sons, who were the three head kumicho, the ones who handed down the directives from the 'Hidden Oyabun'. In other words, Miyamoto Musashi.

Anyone trying to actually keep track of who was who at the top of this clan was going to get a giant headache very quickly. Even the very top people were never quite sure of all the 'who's who' of the organization. Miyamoto was the only one who was sure, and he wasn't telling.

Of the nearly 400,000 men in the organization maybe 10 percent knew who Yusuke was. Of that 10 percent, a third of that actually knew what he looked like. Musashi had put the word out to his most trusted men and they'd done the rest. Genji had nearly 14,000 men to chose from. He was finally going to create the floating squad that they'd been talking about for years. If this worked out and Yusuke turned out to be what they thought he was. He started making calls. He had a lot of interviewing to do.

.

While his father and Genji were discussing things. Yusuke was also organizing. He called one of the kyōdai and asked if he could get Maiida Midori. When the man said he'd be happy to, Yusuke assigned him to stay by her side and do whatever she needed done.

The next week was busy for everyone. Men came and went through a side door, which led straight to Miyamoto's office. Other men appeared in the common room then left again.

Yusuke ignored most of this as his father's business. He eavesdropped a bit, but it was all interviews for places in the upper echelons of the organization so he stopped. He had enough to do.

He was tired of all the nameless, nearly faceless men who wandered in and out of his life. He'd had Hoshiyo-san, Genji-san and Kuma and that had been enough. Now he was moving up in the family and he needed more settled help. He decided that, after he got this mess over with, he'd ask Otousan for some permanent officers of his own.

For now, he was dealing with things one thing at a time, pulling gaki from the common room as needed. All the gaki were hoping for a choice spot with the young Kumicho they had dubbed Oujisan, prince. Most of them knew they'd never rise very high but perhaps they might be a wakashu or even a shateigashira. They could only serve loyally and hope.

Yusuke picked a man and said, “You! Do you know where the kimono collection is kept?”

The man jumped to his feet, bowed and said, “Sorry, boss, I don't. But I'll find out if you like.”

Yusuke glanced around the room, but no one else stepped forward to say they knew so he just nodded at the man. “Ok, fine. Some gaki is bringing an old lady here tomorrow to help me with a few things. No one is to insult her in any way. Got it?” Nods all around assured him that they did. “Her name is Maiida Midori.” and with that he went to his room to rest before lunch. He'd already had a long day, his lessons in control were hard. It was harder to lift a grain of rice than it was to lift a pound. It wasn't the weight that was a problem, it was controlling his power so that he didn't shatter it on the ceiling that was. And he hated ethics, not because he didn't agree with it, but because the teacher was using Socratic logic, and he hated that.

He settled at his desk to write some calligraphy to calm his mind.

.

At lunch the next day he was pleased to see that his father had made Maiida-san welcome. She was seated on his right hand side, smiling gently at everyone. As the only lady in the place, she was accorded the first helping of food after Miyamoto. 

Miyamoto Musashi wasn't a stupid man, nor was he foolish. He knew that Yusuke was up to something. He also knew that he wouldn't appreciate interference. So, he just kept an eye on things, and left the boy to whatever he was doing. Word went out that, if something happened to the boy, yubitsume would be a head.

After setting this word abroad, he began to make his plans to back his son up. He was sure the boy would miss something important. After all, it was his first mission.

Yusuke for his part was concentrating on getting his training done. One step at a time was the way he worked. It was easier to adjust as things changed that way. He thought about what he was going to do when he got near his target. Stabbing him was an obvious option, but how was he to get away after and would it endanger the girls who would be in the room with him? He was sure there would be several. Choking him was out too, Yusuke wasn't strong enough to get into a physical confrontation with a grown man, no matter how out of shape he was. That left poison. As a geisha, it would be part of his performance to serve the man. So poison it was. Just what kind was the next question.

“Genji-san? I need your help, please.” Yusuke waited while Genji finished what he was working on and turned his attention to him. “I need a poison.”

Genji didn't even startle, he just gazed at Yusuke for a moment. “Ok, what kind?”

Yusuke lit a cigarette, drew in a lungful then said, on a drift of smoke. “One that doesn't work fast. Something that just kills silently but can't be mistaken for a heart attack or something other than what it is.”

Genji thought about it for a while. Yusuke smoked and waited. Finally, Genji asked, “When you say slow, do you mean one that works slowly or one that just sits in his system for a while then works all at once?”

“The second. I want to give it to him then have it work after he goes home. Then I want it to ... I don't care. I just want it to be obvious that he was poisoned. Can you help me?”

Genji gave Yusuke a considering look then admitted, “I could. But if I do and this fails, the oyabun will have my head ... literally. We should speak to him about all this.”

Yusuke frowned as he stubbed out his butt. “Ok. But ... this is mine to do.” He held up his hand, palm out in a well known gesture. “I know ... I'm young but Hoshiyo-san was my first friend ... he carried me. He taught me things. He sang to me and gave me a name and books and so much more. I hate that man. He ordered Hoshiyo killed like he was nothing.” a blast of wind blew papers around and sent Yusuke's hair flying.

Genji patted the air between them with one hand. “Maa-maa. Calm down. Never lose your temper, nor let anyone see that you're upset. It gives them leverage. Now. Think carefully about everything, get your thoughts in order then we'll see the boss. Ok?”

“Ok. I'm sorry.” Yusuke took a deep breath, Genji was right, if he lost his temper, he lost control of his magic. He couldn't afford that.

He thought back to the first time he'd lost his temper, ever. He'd been in the common room, playing cards with some gaki. Hoshiyo-san had been nearby, reading a newspaper. He, Yusuke, had caught one of the gaki cheating. That wasn't what had bothered him, it had been the fact that the cheat had been clumsy and, when caught, the gaki had lied. Yusuke hated being lied to more than almost anything else. He'd blown up. The gaki. It hadn't been pretty as the man bloated, floated into the air and began to drift away.

Hoshiyo had fixed the mess, yelled at the gaki and told Musashi. His father had just shaken his head, remarked, “That was bad. Never lose your temper in public. Destroy your rooms, blast rocks on a mountainside, but never in public. Do you understand, my son? It's uncivilized. Only lose your temper in public when there's some benefit or gain. See?”

Yusuke had seen, he'd hung his head in shame and apologized. Musashi had accepted, saying he was just young yet. Yusuke had vowed not to shame himself or his father by losing his temper unnecessarily again.

Now, he calmed himself and followed Genji to his father's office. Miyamoto was interviewing a man who was sweating, unhappy and obviously relieved by the interruption. Yusuke glowered at the man for upsetting his father. Miyamoto had two small frown lines between his eyebrows and was clearly annoyed, to anyone who knew him well.

Miyamoto-sama was amused to see that the fuku-honbucho he'd been interviewing cringed when Yusuke looked at him. The boy was a pleasure to teach, he caught on so very quickly.

“Yes, my son?” Miyamoto dismissed the fuku-honbucho with a flick of his hand. “You are not suitable, please leave.”

The man got up and hurried out the door. He was later to tell his friends, “That kid is ... just scary. He's an old soul and a warrior through and through. I don't doubt it for a second that he'd have cut my throat just for annoying the Oyabun. Little bastard is very creepy.” He then got smashed for three days.

Musashi listened carefully as Yusuke explained his plan. When he finished, “I left some parts a bit vague so that I can adjust at the last minute depending on what happens on the spot. I'm not sure about parts so ... well, what do you think?”

Musashi nodded, gazing off into the near distance as his agile mind analyzed everything he'd heard. “Mmmmm. Not a bad plan at all. Especially for someone your age. I see why you invited the lady Maiida here. Who did you have picked to play the geisha?”

Yusuke just said, “Me.” and waited.

“Ok. I see that. He was your man. But do you think you can manage to act like a geisha and not give yourself away?” He gave Yusuke a doubtful look. He also knew that they had no one in their organization that could pull this off. It was Yusuke or no one.

“Yes. I can play a geisha for one night. That's what Maiida-san is for. She's an old style geisha. She retired when she got too old to kneel for more than an hour at a time. She's still got contacts and everything. What I planned is to learn one song, one dance that I'll do that night. The reason they train so long is to learn a huge repertoire of entertainments. I already play koto and shakuhatchi. I'll just have to learn the proper mannerisms and a dance. Kimono won't be a problem if you'll let me have access to your collection. If you don't want to do that, I'll just buy one.”

Musashi shook his head. “No, that won't be necessary. You can use anything you want. I think I'll sell most of them. It's time. As to the poison, I'll have to ... ask around. There are several. Some take a catalyst, others don't. I'm wondering which would be best.” He sank in to contemplation, ignoring Yusuke for a few moments.

He startled after a bit then said, “Why don't you go practice your calligraphy. You'll need to have it perfect before you can make ofuda. And be sure you make the strokes in the correct order.”

Yusuke, used to this sort of absent dismissal by now, just bowed politely and left to do as he was told.

He didn't make it to his quarters though. Maiida-san caught him in the hall.

“Ah! Miyamoto-chan, come with me. I have found the repository of kimono. We need to find exactly the right one. I have an idea. So, we go?” She smiled at him so hopefully that he just told a gaki to inform his father where he was and followed her.

He was awed to see the huge room, filled with stands and racks. The drawers filled one wall from floor to ceiling. Some drawers had a kimono in it, along with the obi that matched it. Other drawers had under kimono, obi-agi and other things that Yusuke only had a vague idea about. He endeared himself to Maiida-san by announcing, “I have no idea. You chose everything. Perhaps an inexpensive something to practice in?”

“Yes, yes. Excellent idea. I'll chose for you, but I need you here to check that the colors suit you.” Her eyes shone in excitement at the thought of being allowed to see garments that she would never have been able to afford, even in her hay-day. She started opening drawers at once.

As she looked in drawers, she decided on what she called a 'cheat' instead of the formal 4 layers that a young geisha would wear, Yusuke would wear a susoyoke (half-slip), hadajuban or undershirt, nagajuban or under kimono, kimono, and a false collar. This was just a plain white silk one to keep the makeup he would wear off the kimono. The obi and its attendant obi age (bustle sash), obi ita (obi stay), obi jime (obi cord), obi makura (obi pad) came next. He was astonished to see that he also needed koshi himo, various cords, towels and actually would be sewn into bits of his costume.

He wondered if he'd even be able to move. When he voiced his concerns, he was told that most of his actual training would be in how to move gracefully in the heavy outfit. Maiida-san remarked that when she had been a maiko, she had actually had her ankles tied with a short cord to make her steps short and graceful. She laughed at his expression and admitted that she'd been a rice farmers daughter.

After picking out his kimono she gazed longingly at some of the beautiful kimono that would be appropriate for her to wear. Yusuke sent a gaki to ask permission and, after getting it, offered her her choice of anything she thought was appropriate for her to wear as his Onee-san, or older sister. His mentor. She was delighted and picked out something he thought was rather plain. She explained that, at her age, the richness of the fabric was what was important, although she did pick a rather elaborate nagajuban and obi.

They fiddled a bit then she declared that he should one, call her Onee-san and; two, they had to have at least one dresser. Yusuke sent for Genji to ask what to do.

He was not that surprised to find out that several of the prostitutes that hung around, women he was not allowed to have any contact with, were more than willing to do the job.

Yusuke dressed in his kimono after his training and wore it the rest of the day. He had lessons in fan tricks, laughing, holding his head up in his wig and jokes, conversation and singing. His head whirled with all the things he was learning. He was not allowed to skimp on his regular activities, this training was added on. He was glad he only slept four or five hours a night.

He quickly learned that his age was a benefit, he didn't have a shape to be padded out with towels and extra sashes. But the kimono was heavy and the obi took some real work to get used to.

He managed however and within three weeks Onee-san announced that he was ready for some real time practice.

They had been careful not to let too many people see Yusuke or Maiida-san, just the dressers and a few others. Yusuke had stayed in what was now his wing of the house as much as possible. No one paid much attention to a very young girl in formal kimono wandering about the inner garden. Not if they valued their health, they didn't.

Yusuke sat patiently while his makeup was applied, then allowed Onee-san to put a hood over his head to keep his makeup off his kimono. He stood to allow the dresser to start putting on the layers of kimono and obi which would be tied in yanagi musubi style. It took him half an hour to be dressed but he stood, lifted his arms and feet as directed and then sat back down to have his wig put on. He accepted a mirror, approved his makeup and wig then stood. He examined himself in the full length mirror that was moved out for him. He turned this way and that then glanced at Maiida-san. She nodded and opened the shoji for him. She knelt through the door, closed it and rose nimbly to her feet. She might be old but she wasn't that old.

Yusuke stepped through the door into the dining room and settled on a zabuton to wait for his guests to arrive. He'd arranged the flowers in the tokonoma at the bottom of the room. The small niche also contained a scroll he'd painted himself and a small incense burner. He sniffed carefully. He didn't want the incense to over power, it needed to be just enough to lightly scent the room until the food arrived.

Miyamoto was the first to arrive. Genji entered the room, looked around then stepped back out. Miyamoto entered, walked to the zabuton set out for him and settled on it. Yusuke simpered in a proper manner and bowed low. “Sir.”

“Yes.” Miyamoto motioned to Genji who joined him, sitting on his left side. Then the rest of the guests entered. Kuma sat next to Genji then some man that Yusuke didn't know. Nakijima sat on Yusuke's left then a man settled next to him. No introductions were performed, geisha usually knew the names of their patrons. In this case, Yusuke didn't worry about it as his father and friends were there.

Yusuke poured saki under the watchful eye of Maiida-san, he didn't take any for himself as he was too young to drink. So, instead of drinking, he told jokes. Most of them were risque, some down right bawdy, but he delivered them all in the sweet, innocent tone that made them even more shocking. The men all laughed heartily at them all. Yusuke hid behind his fan, fluttering his eyelashes and laughing shyly.

After two rounds of drinks, he got up to sing then dance a fan dance. Maiida-san played koto for this, then Yusuke played. During this, two real Maiko kept up soft conversation and kept the saki flowing. All the men except Musashi were getting very drunk. Yusuke was pleased to see that they still treated the maiko with respect. His family was old fashioned and remembered that neither maiko nor geisha were prostitutes.

He settled on the cushion the maiko vacated for him and poured his father more saki. He also poured for the man on his opposite side. The other maiko kept the rest of the cups filled.

The food was brought out when the fifth bottle was empty. Yusuke had decided on sukiyaki with noodles. It was easy to prepare and just the sort of thing Musashi liked. As he cooked, he kept up a patter of conversation during which he learned that the two strangers were actually Miyamoto Ichigo and Miyamoto Ren, his brothers. He treated them both to shyly innocent smiles.

Conversation flowed easily while they waited for the sukiyaki to finish. Yusuke demonstrated a few of his fan tricks while the men all clapped and laughed. The maiko all stayed in the background, learning all they could from an elder sister. Yusuke hoped vaguely that he didn't teach them any bad habits. Maiida-san watched too. She was very pleased with Yusuke. He would manage, if there were no surprises. She nodded to him, dipping her head with practiced grace.

Yusuke smiled back then called for tea. He poured for Musashi, who accepted the cup with a small bow.

He was just taking a sip when the soft voiced, “Otousan, have you found my poison yet?” nearly made him perform a very undignified spit take.

After controlling himself carefully, Musashi looked Yusuke over. “I don't believe it. You look ten years older and very ... feminine.”

Yusuke smirked, then replied, “Thank you. It's the wig, I think. And this white face stuff ... well, look at the maiko. They all look twelve.” He smiled at the two girls who put their heads down and giggled. They were both in their early twenties and just about to graduate to full geisha status.

Miyamoto Ren asked Yusuke to stand up, which he did with surprising grace. “Well, you look good. I think this will work. But I'd like to talk to you a bit, tomorrow perhaps?”

Yusuke nodded and bowed carefully. “Of course, Oniisan. Perhaps at breakfast. After my training.”

Miyamoto Ichigo agreed with this. “That would be good. All the Miyamoto's together. I've been looking forward to meeting you. I apologize for taking so long to get here ... but business is business. Yes?”

“Of course, Oniisan.” He frowned slightly. Having two elder brothers was going to get confusing.

Ichigo relieved this by remarking, “Perhaps you could just call us by name? Unless there's only one of us in the room. I think that would be better.”

Yusuke bowed then returned to his seat by his father's side. He returned his attention to the subject at hand. “My poison?”

Ichigo-kun reached into a pocket. “Right here. And it is yours. I have confidence in your ability to get it into the target. Now.”

Ren agreed, “Yes, we were actually wondering which of the three of ...er ... you was the right one. Excellent work. Amazing.”

Yusuke bowed. “Thank you, my brothers. I am pleased to meet you and so very happy that you approve.”

Ichigo nodded to his father. “I like him. But ... seriously ... he needs to change. That.” he pointed to Yusuke's kimono with a grimace.

Ren just laughed heartily. “Go, little brother, change back into a boy.”

Yusuke went, he was actually fairly glad to do so. His brothers were a bit drunk, something that bothered him a bit. Maiida-san followed him.

As she helped him take off the kimono she advised him, “Don't hold it against them that they got a bit drunk. I watched them carefully and, no matter that they were getting trashed, they were very nice to the maiko.” she efficiently handed the kimono set off to one of the dressers. “So, do you want a suit or something more casual?”

Yusuke thought for a moment then said, “Everyone else is wearing a suit, so should I. The dark navy blue, lighter blue shirt, white tie, black socks. Yes?” He remembered being measured for his first suit with a slight smile.  
Maiida-san nodded. “Yes. Very good. And you should introduce yourself with style.” she helped him into his things, smoothing his lapels and making sure his tie was straight.  
.  
When he re entered the room he bowed to everyone at the table. Then he held his left hand in front of himself at waist height, extended his right to the side in a dramatic gesture and bowed his head slightly. “Hello! I am Miyamoto Yusuke, son of Miyamoto Musashi. From now on remember my name.” He straightened up and smiled a bit.

Musashi was very pleased. He laughed and called. “Very good, my son. Come. Sit. You must be thirsty. Have some tea.” He pushed a teacup over to Yusuke who accepted it happily.

Talk turned to plans to acquire their target, how to get Yusuke to the geisha house unnoticed and how, exactly, to slip the poison to him.

It was finally decided to just send Yusuke from Hokkaido to Kyoto dressed as a schoolboy. No one much paid attention to kids in a uniform. It was a long trip but he would be followed by several wakashu, just in case. Any form of magical travel would attract exactly the sort of attention they didn't want.

Maiida-san would travel separately, taking a different route. All the kimono they would need would be in her suitcase. This would be carried by her 'son', another wakashu.

They would take a room at an inn, dress as what they were pretending to be, a geisha and her personal maid and dresser. As soon as they were dressed and it was close to dusk they would simply walk to the Pink Lotus, enter the house and take care of business. Musashi cautioned Yusuke to be very careful to leave as quickly as possible.  
.

Everything worked just as they'd planned. Yusuke made the trip without much trouble. He was even helped by a friendly older boy when he'd gotten confused in Tokyo. Yusuke had been worried that the boy was trying to trick him somehow but he'd just led Yusuke to the proper platform and left him with a cheerful 'Sayonara'.

He checked into the inn and found that Maiida-san was already there. She helped him get dressed and they walked to the inn, stopping on the way to indulge in ice cream.

When they got to the house, Mitsubishi Kiniichi's people were already guarding the place. It didn't take the two 'ladies' long to get inside though. Liberal gifts to the Mama-san had paid their way inside.

Yusuke and Maiida-san slipped in the side door that all the geisha and maiko used. The house servants used a back door. They were greeted by the Mama-san and shown to a banquet room, through to a smaller room and left to rest until Mitsubishi came. They waited until the rather rowdy arrival of their target. Yusuke sighed, they could smell the man clear in here. He smelled of garlic and cheap after-shave.

Yusuke took a deep breath and walked through the door. He tried to remember everything he'd been taught. Keep your voice low and soft, speak the high class Nihon that Maiida-san had taught him. He breathed out and settled on the zabuton, smiling coyly. This was going to be a long night.

Mitsubishi insisted that Yusuke, or Sakura-chan, call him Kiniichi. Yusuke did so, but without any suffix, just the bare name. Kiniichi didn't notice the insolence, or didn't care.

Yusuke went through his performance without a flaw. He was applauded and then Kiniichi did as expected and insisted on his kiss. He only took one and it was chaste, no open mouth or tongue. But Sakura-chan's geisha makeup included a lip 'stick' that was comprised of melted soy wax, sugar and red color. Since the stick was melted by body heat then mixed with sugar, it was easy to combine the poison with the makeup. The kiss transferred a great deal of the color to the target's lips which he licked off with a smirk. Yusuke immediately excused himself to repair his lip color. This was what every geisha had done before so no one thought anything of it.

Yusuke quickly wiped off the color and poison, gulped the necessary antidote then went back in, he was going to take the time to get Kiniichi thoroughly drunk. He was taken home by his men and died in agony three days later. Yusuke and Maiida-san left together after Kiniichi was taken home and returned to Hokkaido together, along with two of the wakashu. They looked like a family comprised of grandmother, grandfather, father or uncle and a thirteen or fourteen year old boy. No one would have recognized any of them.

When they got home, Maiida-san said goodbye to Yusuke remarking that, while it had been a great adventure and a reminder of her glory days, she would be glad to get back to her shop. Musashi thanked her and let her go home, sending a wakashu to escort her and carry her kimono bag. Yusuke would see her from time to time and made sure that everyone bought their papers from her.

But Musashi was not completely pleased with the job. He checked with all three of his sons and found that Yusuke had taken the surest and most dangerous way of getting the poison into their target. This did not please him as he'd told Yusuke to be careful. He did not regard Yusuke's method as being careful. There was a chance that he could have poisoned himself. He did take into account the fact that the trigger for the poison happened to be red wine, something that most Japanese didn't drink much of. But Mitsubishi was fond of Italian food and insisted on having Chianti with it.

So, now Yusuke was kneeling before him in a formal reprimand.

Everyone was dressed in dark suits and kneeling, according to rank, around the room. Yusuke knelt in the middle of the room a rather forlorn expression on his face. His father was displeased.

Musashi didn't hold back. “I am very displeased with this. You disobeyed me in the most important part of my orders.” Yusuke wracked his brain to try to figure out how he'd failed. “You endangered yourself. I repeatedly told you to be careful. Kissing that bastard with poison on your lips was definitely not obeying my command.” He scowled at Yusuke. “Now, I want you to go out into the engawa and think about your apology. Go!” Yusuke got up and walked to the door with a steady step. He knelt, opened the shoji, knelt out the door then closed it. He was shaking, but no one would have known. He did have control of himself and his teachers would have been very proud of him.

He thought for a while then called a gaki to him. “You! Come here.” the man knelt beside the boy. “Get me all the things I need for yubitsume. Fix things, then come and get me. Go!” The gaki knew better than to say anything. His young kumicho was nothing if not stubborn.

As they were deep in conversation about a smuggling contract, no one above the level of Fuku-honbucho noticed the preparations in the middle of the room. They did notice Yusuke come in and kneel at the small table. It wasn't unusual for an oyabun or kumicho to make an offending member of the clan actually write their apology in front of an assembly like this one.

Yusuke took a deep breath then motioned for a Fuku-honbucho named Wada to come sit by him. Everyone suddenly turned their complete attention to the middle of the room. No one needed a second to write an apology. Yusuke cleared his throat.

“Otousan, I am very sorry that I disappointed you. I did not mean to disobey you. Please accept this in apology.” With that, he picked up the tanto, put his left hand on the table and raised the knife over his head. He was going to have to strike fast and hard.

Musashi realized what Yusuke was going to do just in time. His sharp, “Yamero!” made Yusuke freeze. Yusuke looked up at Musashi with tears in his eyes. “No. This is not what I wanted. You ... come here you foolish boy.” Musashi held out his arms.

Yusuke dropped the tanto and scrambled right over the table and into Musashi's arms.

Musashi hugged him, something very unusual in public. “All I expected was a written apology. But you have made me very proud. Explain why, please.”

“I never want to do anything to disappoint you. You've given me everything. Family, lessons, clothing. All the manga I could ever want. But, best of all love. I'm a Miyamoto. It is my duty.” Yusuke didn't understand what was going on at first. Every man in the room stood, bowed and began to clap.

He glanced around then exclaimed, “What? I'm a Miyamoto. I am yakuza.”

Miyamoto nodded to him, hugged him again then said, “Return to the table. You are right. You are a Miyamoto and a yakuza.”

Yusuke returned to the table and was a bit surprised when Musashi motioned that another zabuton should be put on the other side of it. He called Ichigo to prepare the saki for the ceremony.

Ichigo mixed a bit of salt into the saki then a bit of sugar. The salt signified that the family would be responsible for his needs and the sugar to sweeten his life. Then he put out two cups, one much larger than the other. The large one he put in front of Yusuke and the small one in front of Musashi. Then Ren poured saki into each cup. He poured the large cup almost to over flowing, the smaller got a few drops. After that Masa knelt beside the table while Ichigo knelt on Musashi's right hand side and Ren on Yusuke's.

“Who will be guarantors for this man?”

Ren just nodded his head, agreeing to be one. Genji stepped forward and knelt on Yusuke's other side. “I will.” Musashi looked pleased at this and Genji just grinned for a second.

Yusuke had been well educated in what to do, all the wakashu dreamed and talked of the day they were allowed this honor. All the gaki talked about their day.

Yusuke said his simple vows in a clear voice, promising to put the Miyamoto-kazoku before any other and to obey Musashi as his Oyabun. He then carefully picked up the large cup, took a tiny sip and put it back down. Musashi did the same with his cup. Ren then exchanged one cup for the other and the two men drained them dry. The applause was deafening.

Genji produced a small box from somewhere and picked up the small cup. He carefully wrapped it in a piece of white silk and put it in the box. He turned to Yusuke and said, “Usually, we'd give this to you and tell you to take good care of it. If you ever dishonor your vows and yubitsume isn't enough, your cup will be broken. That means that you've been thrown out of the family. You understand?” Yusuke nodded. “but, since you're so young, I'll be keeping it in my safe. OK?”

Yusuke nodded again. “Absolutely. Now, can I have a smoke? Please.” Yusuke clasped his hands in his lap to stop them from shaking.

“Sure. Here! You! Get Oujisan a smoke.” He motioned to someone sitting in the rank of gaki waiting for an order.

The gaki hurried forward and offered Yusuke a smoke from his own pack. Fortunately for him, he smoked Djarum 76's. Yusuke just took the lit cigarette and took a drag. “Man, that's good.” The gaki retreated to the wall again.

They were soon involved in a drunken party that lasted the rest of the night. Yusuke had one very small cup of saki, then drank tea. Musashi had expected to have to stop him from getting drunk and was proud when Yusuke ordered tea after his one cup. He was even more proud when Yusuke headed off to bed at midnight. He just caught Musashi and Genji's eyes, bowed and left.

.

The next weeks saw little change in Yusuke's daily routine. There was some change in the particulars. He learned more ninjato than anyone had expected him to need, before he was accepted into the kazoku. Now he would be a fully-fledged member of the Miyamoto-kazoku.

And, since they really didn't know much about him, Miyamoto Masa decided to do some research. What he found made everyone exclaim in surprise. Musashi decided that Yusuke didn't need to know most of it, just that he had properties in England that his father was managing for now. Then Musashi assigned one of his most trusted kaikei and his companion shingiin to go to England and figure out what was going on with all the properties and investments. He then forgot all about it, expecting things to be managed properly and quarterly reports to arrive. He was not disappointed. Yusuke was told, in passing, that he had properties at 'home' and that they were under proper management. He just bowed, said, “Of course they are.” and finished arranging his flowers.  
.

Yusuke was inordinately pleased with himself. All his teachers said he was a prodigy. He supposed he was, if they said so. All he knew was that his father was proud of him. In fact, to show his pleasure, Musashi had given him another business to run, and a crew of his own. He now had officers, wakashu and gaki of his own. They all lived in his wing of the house.

He enjoyed fighting with the gaki and wakashu. His teachers watched his matches and gave critiques after. The wakashu and gaki were just glad that one of the new people included in the household was a potions master. Yusuke had turned out to be a vicious fighter who went straight for the soft spots. They were all proud of him, but really hated working out with him. They were very glad when he went out into the forests to train, it gave them a break and he came back in a good mood.

Not that he wasn't a pleasant person to be around, generally. He was, but his temper was explosive. Hard to spark, but once it was he was methodical in destroying everything necessary to get to the source of his anger. They'd taken to calling him Shinigami-kun, little god of death.

Genji took over teaching Yusuke about some important things. He gave him a pistol and taught him how to use it. The boy now carried a Beretta 93-R, a 14” tanto and a Colt 32 Bulldog. He knew how to make a bomb, a molotov cocktail and how to use C-4. He carried a bit of that too.

The thing about Japanese magicals was that they never told their children that something was impossible. If they asked how to do something they were just handed books and told to read up on the theory. Yusuke read manga at an incredible pace, especially considering his study load. But he admitted to reading them in the quiet of the night when he woke from a nightmare so no one said much. Musashi just paid for whatever he was interested in at the moment. He ran through Ranma1/2, Yu-yu Hakasho, Ruroni Kenshin and a dozen others.

He came up with the idea of 'mallet space' from Ranma and asked how to do it. He wound up with several theory books which said that it was basically an unanchored enlargement charm so he learned how to create one and anchor it to himself. He kept his swords in it, along with a rifle, chocolate, cigarettes and explosives. Also, books, writing materials and food.

From Ruroni Kenshin he learned about several sword techniques that could only be done by the application of magic spells to the sword. He learned them easily enough but announced that the very idea of a reverse blade sword was stupid. He was given a very fine Musashi sword, spelled to a fine edge and was taught everything the masters knew. 

Some of the spells from Yu-yu Hakasho were easy, others impossible. They took way more magic, or ki, than Yusuke had. He wasn't that disappointed. After all, he knew plenty of magical spells that did work. He also knew how to make ofuda and omamore. His teacher of warding and shielding was extremely pleased with him. His ofuda were very effective and his omamore were in high demand amongst the clan.

And so the years passed and a young frightened boy turned into a not so young Kumicho of the Miyamoto-kazoku.

The sight of him in a suit with his long hair in a high ponytail which he unashamedly admitted he'd copied from Ruroni Kenshin, smoking a cigarette was something to see. He moved with the natural grace of a well trained martial artist. The tilt of his head was arrogance personified. He was followed by a group of gaki at all times. Gaki that agreed with everything he said. He was inundated with cries of, 'Yes, yes, young boss. You're right, of course, you're very smart.” He mostly ignored them as they did the same to all the oyabun and kumicho.

No one outside of his personal household and his father and brothers knew that he was The Enforcer. The Shikkō-sha. There were rumors, of course, so everyone in the Yamaguchi-gumi was very careful around this cold eyed boy. Especially when he turned his blank look on them. That look promised screaming and pain on the Hidden Oyabun's word.

.

Albus Dumbledore was not a happy headmaster. It had been four years since he'd hopefully sent out an owl with Harry Potter's Hogwarts letter. The owl hadn't come back, but they'd received a reply via Gringotts that Harry Potter was being home schooled. He'd filed it away and increased his attempts to find out where the boy was. He'd failed, the Gringotts goblins would only say that he was safe, so he made his plans around allowing Voldemort to find Harry for him.

But the Ministry, in its wisdom, decided to interfere in his plans. Minister Fudge ordered Gringotts to put a freeze on all the Potter accounts. He also forbade any further business until Harry Potter came to England and attended Hogwarts for at least one year. Dumbledore managed to persuade Fudge that bankrupting the Potter companies by forbidding them to do business wasn't a good idea. But that was all.

If Harry Potter wanted access to his personal vaults, or to take money out of any account including his trust, he had to come to England, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to be exact.

Takeda Kenzo sent a letter at once, asking what he should do. The kaikei was not a happy man, this was not acceptable. He'd gotten together with the legal advisor, Ayeda Hama who had told him that, basically, the Ministry had the ability to do this. They did not have the right, but there wasn't much to be done about it.

When Miyamoto, father and sons, finished reading the letter, they put their heads together and decided. The Potter fortune was much too large to allow it to leave the family. Therefore, Yusuke would go to Hogwarts. But someone would pay. Who, they weren't sure yet. That would be part of what Yusuke learned in England. He did admit that he was interested in wand magic. And Occidental Runes.

The return letter was simple, “Prepare for the arrival of Miyamoto Yusuke via portkey in three days.” Arrangements were made.

As they tried to make them, they found that the Ministry, in its infinite wisdom, had even forbidden him to enter any of the several residences the Potter family owned. Miyamoto-sama just ordered, “Then buy him something in my name.” They'd managed to find a very nice house on the outskirts of Plymouth. It was a combination of Japanese and English architecture that worked very well. It was immediately warded to a fare thee well.

The portkey was sent via messenger and Miyamoto-kun stepped through the front door of his new home with a scowl on his face. Both grown men cringed. This was not good.

“I would like to know who the fuck decided that I don't need my staff.” It wasn't a question and no one took it as such.

Takeda-san started bowing and apologizing at once. “I'm sorry, kumicho, I'm sorry. The British Ministry wouldn't allow any of your other people to come with you. They said that, if you needed staff you could hire it here. Good English stock, or some such crap.” Takeda knew he was sweating, but he couldn't help it. This boy was as dangerous as a tiger in a closet.

His scowl deepened and Yusuke snarled. He paced the front hall for a moment then said, “Go out into the community. I don't care what gumi they've sworn to, hire me some people. I'll worry about chain of command after I've met them. I need at least ... ten men. All magical. Right?”

“Yes, Kumicho. Anything you say, Kumicho. Excuse me, Oujisan, I'll just go now and see to it.” Takeda quite frankly ran out the door, leaving his partner to deal with a very pissed off kumicho.

Yusuke, face tight with fury, glowered at Ayeda-san and said, “Ayeda-kun tell me where my rooms are.”

Ayeda was glad to stammer, “But, Kumicho, the whole house is yours. No one else lives here. If you want any of the gaki to stay here, there's servants quarters out behind the house. Over the garage. There's room for ... say, six men. That's all you'll really need as you won't be allowed any men at Hogwarts. I checked. It's a boarding school.” He made a face. “There's dorms.”

Yusuke took his cigarette case out of his pocket and took one out. Ayeda hurried to light it for him.

He took a drag then let it out. “Well?” his impatient gesture made Ayeda very aware that he had kept the young kumicho waiting. “My bedroom?” Ayeda gulped and scurried to show Yusuke to the master bedroom.

Yusuke looked around the room with disgust although he kept his face carefully blank. “Western furniture?” he pinned Ayeda with a cold look. “Get rid of it.” he went to look at the bathroom. Ayeda thanked his ancestors that it was traditional as he shrank the furniture and tucked it into a box.

Yusuke stalked from the bathroom to the door. So far, the place was barely acceptable. The other three bedrooms and bath were examined without comment then he went downstairs to look that over. The front parlor was acceptable, the next door library/office received a snarl and the kitchen/laundry got an irritable sniff. The dining room also received a quick look and a snort. Ayeda was in a panic. The Oujisan did not like this house and he made that abundantly clear.

After inspecting the back garden, Yusuke sat down on the back terrace and finished his cigarette. “Ashtray.”  
Ayeda hurried into the kitchen to get one. After placing it near the young kumicho's hand he asked, “Will there be anything else?”

A flat, cold, “No.” sent him scurrying out the front door. He wasn't about to stay with the embodiment of Shinigami. It wasn't safe. He was in his car before he realized that there was no way the Hidden Oyabun would approve of him leaving a sixteen year old alone in a strange country. He started to sweat again.

He knew that the boy was perfectly capable of killing the whole neighborhood without a qualm but ... the Oyabun would not be pleased, something devoutly to be avoided. This could bring a visit from the Shikkō-sha, for leaving him alone. Ayeda groaned softly.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Yusuke banged on the door. “Oi! Asshole, come back inside. Otousan will have your head, you stupid bastard. I never thought, but you better not leave me in that house alone.” he then turned on his heel and went back inside.

The shingiin swore and followed him, muttering about cat-footed little bastards as he did so.

The next day brought four gaki who were actually Yamaguchi-gumi. They were in England on personal business and had gotten a call from Japan. They had willingly come to speak to Yusuke-sama. It was very unusual in Japan, but all the Miyamoto Kumicho were called by their personal names. The only one called Miyamoto-san was Musashi, it was too confusing to try to keep them straight when they were all technically Miyamoto-kumicho.

He accepted them all without too much questioning. He had a way of looking through a man and right into his head. He always knew whom he could trust. Or almost always. Abusing his trust was not a good thing to do. It was quite possible that it would get you killed. Or seriously maimed. The young kumicho in a temper was the embodiment of terminate with extreme prejudice. As one man had said, “We call him Shinigami-kun, but that doesn't mean he's soft.”

.

After informing some Assistant to the Minister that he was in England, Yusuke waited for some form of communication from someone. Nothing came. He was glad he'd waited until after his father had done some investigation, otherwise he'd have no idea what to do.

Since he did, he ordered one of his new gaki to side along him to Diagon Alley. He popped into existence in a sheltered area reserved for that purpose and headed for the huge white building that was obviously a bank. And that was all he knew about it. He did smile a bit as he read the caution on the door.

Then he blinked as he realized that the guards were not human. He bowed slightly to them then entered the bank, noticing that they bowed back.

He went up to a teller and said, “I am Miyamoto Yusuke also known as Harry Potter. I understand that I am allowed access to my trust vault?”

The teller looked at him, grunted and said, “Yes, and that is all. You are not allowed access to anything else. Ministry orders.” Yusuke could tell that the goblin was not happy.

After taking a drop of blood to verify his identity the goblin took Yusuke to see his vault. The gaki were not pleased to find out that they couldn't come with him. They positioned themselves as near the entrance to the cart tracks as the goblins would allow, grumbling unhappily. Takeda and Ayeda both argued that they should be allowed to go down with Yusuke but were told that, since they had no vault nor was their name on any of Miyamoto-kun's, they couldn't.

There was a lot of gold in it. Yusuke eyed it and thought. Finally, he turned to the goblin and asked, “What if I empty this vault and put it in a new one?”

“Still under your name. Ministry would just order it sealed too.” Yusuke was sure he heard the goblin mutter, “Interfering with profit.”

Yusuke bowed to the goblin and said, “Honorable Goblin, may this one know your name?”

The goblin looked at him for a moment then said, “Swordmaker, thank you for asking.”

Yusuke then asked him, “If I take all the gold out of this vault and put it in one under someone else's name, what happens?”

Swordmaker thought for a moment then said, “I hope that they are someone you can trust.”

“I trust my Kaikei to handle all my affairs. He's done well for over eight years. If we establish a vault with his name only on it, can I still draw from it?” Yusuke watched as Swordmaker gave him a sharkish smile.

He thought a bit more then allowed that it would work. As Yusuke was only on the vault as a signatory rather than an owner, it would work. He then gave Yusuke a bottomless bag, telling him to fill it while he went to make arrangements.

Yusuke didn't bother to argue, he just waved his hand and watched as the goblins eyes widened. The gold poured into the bag like a flood unleashed. A few seconds later he said, with some satisfaction. “There. Now what?”

“We go out the door and wait to see if it refills. If it does, we can empty it again. But more that that might be pushing our luck.” Swordmaker smirked a bit. He did so love tweaking a wizard's nose.

So, out they went, closing the door behind them. The jingle of gold tumbling about in the vault was clearly audible even through the thick wooden door. Yusuke emptied it again except for one galleon. This he left on Swordmaker's advice.

When they returned to the surface, Yusuke had to take a moment to pull himself back together. He hated roller coasters and other such foolishness. His one experience with an amusement park had been a disaster of epic proportions. It had ended very badly and they'd lost three wakashu.

Takeda nearly had a heart attack when he heard what Yusuke was up to. He was appalled that Miyamoto-sama was going to trust him with nearly a million dollars, he whimpered slightly as he converted it to Pounds then Yen. He was trustworthy, he had to be. He liked all his fingers, beside the fact that he was proud of his reputation as absolutely incorruptible. He took a deep breath and allowed that this was a good way to get around the Ministry's decree. He signed where the goblin pointed and got Yusuke a money bag.

The bag was one which replenished itself automatically so Yusuke wouldn't have to visit the bank. He smirked in a way that made even the goblin shudder.

When he lifted his hand and stuffed the bag into nothing the nearby goblins all stared. Yusuke realized that they were curious, intensely so, but way too polite to ask any questions.

Dipping his hand into his coat pocket, he pulled out a cigarette, a gaki jumped to light it for him but he stopped him. Yusuke looked at the goblin for permission which was granted with a nod. He smoked for a moment then said, “I think I was supposed to get a letter? Could you tell me why not?”

Swordmaker shrugged, “No idea. Come with me.” he led the way to his office, offered refreshments, which were refused and rang a bell.

The bell was answered by a goblin who bowed to the room then asked, “How may I help you?”

“Mail for Harry Potter or Miyamoto Yusuke. Find out where it is. Deal with what needs dealt with and bring the rest here.” he tapped his claws on the desk, something that was obviously a habit as the top was scarred here and there with clear claw marks. Yusuke continued to smoke.

The goblin returned and announced, “Fan mail is handled by elves here. Letters of thanks for every item are sent out. Form letters of acknowledgment. Expensive items are stored in a vault, the rest ... inappropriately aged toys and such, go to orphanages all over Europe. Anything to do with business goes to either Mr. Takeda or Mr. Ayeda to handle. Here are three letters that do not fit any of those parameters.” He handed over a folder and left.

Yusuke nodded his approval of these arrangements when Swordmaker glanced at him. He took the folder, realizing that the goblin never challenged him by looking him in the eye. He raised an eyebrow and Swordmaker returned a smirk. They understood each other well.

Yusuke read the letter from Dumbledore, then told Swordmaker to send an owl with his reply that he was coming to Hogwarts. The second letter was some nonsense about being regent to someone called Black. He handed that one to his adviser and accountant. They'd deal with it. The third letter was actually the second page of his Hogwarts letter. It was his book list as well as a list of all the other things he needed or was allowed to bring.

He nodded to the goblin and left the office.


	5. Chapter 5

When Yusuke is talking to the gaki and Hedwig, he's speaking Japanese. The rest of the time, he's speaking English peppered with Japanese.

.

 

Yusuke exited the bank with his list in the hands of a gaki whose name was actually Koga. No family name, just Koga. Yusuke immediately called him Koga-kun. The man was in his early forties with a round face and stocky build. He greeted his naming with a grin that showed his gold tooth.

“Where are we going, Kumicho?”

Yusuke put on his sunglasses and headed off. “You figure it out.”

Yusuke glanced over his shoulder as the rest of the gaki caught up with his long strides. He was about average height for a Japanese boy of his age but he had that talent that some people have of walking with a 'long' stride. The gaki had to scurry to keep up.

Yusuke looked at Koga for his first stop. Koga replied quickly, “The best I can say is, wand shop? Best to get that out of the way first. And you'll need a good trunk. No sense in getting a student trunk. They only last about eight years. Get a good traveling one instead. I'd say get yours sent over from Nihon but we don't have time.”

Yusuke shrugged. “It's not in good shape, some idiot wakashu dropped it last week and cracked a panel. It's being repaired. I'll just ward whatever I buy.”

Every gaki quickly agreed with this, declaring loudly, “Yes, yes. Great idea, kumicho. Wonderful.” No one noticed nor cared that people on the street were looking at them.

They made it to the wand shop, Ollivander's, in seconds and entered to the spritely jingle of the spring bell over the door. Mr Ollivander was a bit disappointed when no one flinched when he popped out from behind the shelves. The young man had to be at least 15, much too old to need a first wand but Mr. Ollivander didn't recognize him. He as very proud of remembering every wand and wizard or witch who'd been in his shop.

“So, young man, what can I do for you?” Ollivander gave them all a bright eyed once over then settled to wait for his customer to speak.

It didn't take Yusuke long to decide that the old wizard was crazy. He didn't have much patience and crazy people tried it quickly. “I need a wand. Get to it. And no games.” This old man was a game player, Yusuke was sure of it, and he hated games. Get to the point as politely as possible. He used manners to his ends, not the other way around. Anyone attempting to manipulate him using 'good manners' as an excuse was doomed.

Mr. Ollivander did love his games, but he was well aware that this young man was not in the mood so he got started with a smile. “Very well. Here try this one.”

Yusuke picked up the stick with a scowl. It was cold in his hand, and he knew it wasn't going to work. He didn't have time to say so as it was snatched out of his hand with a grumbled, “Well, not that one.” He tried out over a dozen more with the same results. He was rapidly losing his patience, so he just held out his hand and barked, “Wand!” A wand flew out of the back of the shop and right into his extended hand.

The gaki didn't even blink at this but Mr. Ollivander stared. He finally asked, “Do you have another focus?”

Yusuke just forgot his English all of a sudden. “Ah?” He looked down his nose at the man for a moment, pulling his sunglasses down to the end of his nose to do so. Then he held out a handful of galleons and sickles. He let Ollivander take what he wanted then motioned for two men to precede him out the door. He gave Ollivander a glower, then left without giving him time to say whatever foolishness was on the tip of his tongue.

The next stop was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He hated the very idea at first sight. He didn't like the sleazy fabric, the too straight lines nor the half button front. When Madam informed him that most students didn't bother to button them up, he just blandly said, “Then why put buttons on them?” Madam just shrugged her shoulders then offered him a swatch book with a rather hopeful expression.

Yusuke took the time to flip through it, but nothing really caught his eye. Madam Malkin offered him a different swatch book with more adult fabrics in it as well as a pattern book. He chose a full bellied robe with a tap of his finger, instructing that it should be made in a deep blue brocade. His expression didn't change when madam said that was more for adults. He just said, “Those or nothing.” she acquiesced with a tiny frown. He motioned to a gaki to wait for the robes, which madam assured him would be ready in an hour. He left without buying anything but the two sets of robes. He wasn't about to waste his money on any more of her wares than he had to. He had plenty of things to wear under his robes, which he intended to wear as little as possible. He considered objecting due to cultural reasons.

Every other shop was easy, he just sent in a gaki to show the list and get what was needed. The only other shops he would actually visit himself were Eylops Owl Emporium, Traveling Treasures, the trunk shop and Flourish and Blotts. He was well aware that an owl would never make it from Scotland to Japan in less than six months, no matter how strong or smart it was. But he could send the owl to Gringotts and have the letter forwarded by messenger from there. And he wanted to get his books himself. There was no way the book list could possibly be complete, no matter what anyone said.

So they entered the emporium to look around. Yusuke didn't like it at all. Most of the owls looked miserable. They were well cared for, all the cages were clean with adequate food and water. But owls are diurnal, at best, and keeping the poor birds in a bright shop in small cages wasn't what he'd call kind. He looked in several cages but got no reaction, most of the birds just looked at him, other's didn't even bother to do that. He finally found a beautiful snowy owl who looked back at him with brilliant yellow eyes.

He reached to open the cage, but the clerk stopped him. He warned, “I wouldn't do that. The bird pecks.”

Yusuke ignored the clerk and addressed the bird in Japanese, “Konichiwa, fukurō-san.” The owl blinked at him, then nodded her head as if she understood. He opened the cage then offered his arm to the owl as if she was a falcon. “Ah? Dan.” He offered his arm again and waited for the bird to step onto it as commanded.

The clerk offered hopefully, “Her name's not Dan. It's Hedwig. Named after some goddess or something. She seems to like you. I'll make you a deal on her.”

Yusuke just grunted at a gaki, “Pay the man.” and ambled out. He transformed a bit of something into a falconers gauntlet. He was well aware the owl, Hedwig, had been trained not to grasp his arm with her claws, but he saw no reason for the bird to tire herself out balancing so awkwardly. “Better?” a bob of her head and a soft churring greeted this. “I thought so.” he called Koga forward and handed Hedwig off to him. “Hold her until I get out of the book store.”

The gaki obediently took the glove and let Hedwig step onto his arm. Another man came running up with a cage and a bag he said contained food and treats. He also had a perch for her. Yusuke instructed him to keep the perch and food but take the cage back and get more treats. He wasn't going to put his owl in a cage, rules or no rules, she didn't deserve to be caged. He stroked her breast with the back of his index finger. “Musho no good for you, eh?” she nibbled at his finger, chuffing softly. He was to find out that snowy owls didn't hoot, they barked, churred and made a sound suspiciously like a purr.

He petted her again then turned to the bookstore. He sighed as he realized that there was some sort of special event going on. This was going to be a nightmare. Taking off his sunglasses, he eased through the door, glowering at the two gaki who wanted to go in with him until they retreated to the side of the door. He glanced at the list he'd taken from Koga, then he looked for a clerk. He found one hiding behind a display of books by someone named Gilderoy Lockhart, a grinning fool by his estimation.

He nudged the clerk in the side and handed him the list. “I'd like all these books and any you could recommend as more in detail reading.”

The clerk took the list and nodded. “Ancient Runes? Ok. I have a couple of really good books on that, but they're expensive. And you're taking Arithmancy too. Runes and Arithmancy go hand in hand. There's a really good book on combining the two to create powerful magic. History of Magic? Just read the book and Hogwarts: A History, skip class, unless you need a nap. Binns is so boring it's appalling.” he glanced back down at the paper and realized that two classes had been crossed off. He didn't blame the boy; Care of Magical Creatures was a dead bore, nearly as boring as History. And Astronomy was a waste of time unless you were taking Divination, which this boy wasn't. “Ok. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology. The texts for Herbology are nearly worthless and that idiot Lockhart has you buying his complete collection, so ... I know several books in both that are well worth the money. And that's all you're taking? Oh, no. Potions. Right. You'll hate Snape with a passion, make no mistake. He's a bastard through and through. He only likes Slytherins and takes things out on the students. He stubs a toe? He takes points from Hufflepuff.”

Yusuke made a note to check the man out carefully. He didn't need problems first thing.

The clerk dragged him around the store, gathering books as he went, and explaining which books were the best, the most expensive, but not worth it and some that he said would make a good door stop. Yusuke glanced at the Defense books, and realized that there were several and, as the clerk had said, all by the same author, Gilderoy Lockhart. He sneered. The man was an idiot.

His book titles showed that clearly, Wandering With Werewolves, Vacationing with Vampires? He snorted, he was avoiding this man as much as possible. Ambling with Onnas? Really!

He watched Lockhart from behind the same bookcase he'd found the clerk behind. After five minutes he found out nothing more of interest, except that women seemed to think he was something special, men couldn't stand him.

He left the store and returned to the gaki, who'd all gathered around Koga.

Koga was looking particularly proud of himself for being allowed to hold Hedwig. The rest of the gaki were alternately watching the crowds and looking enviously at Koga. Yusuke allowed him to continue to carry her as he made his way to the luggage shop for a trunk.

The last place was Traveling Treasures for a trunk. Yusuke had a great trunk at home, the cracked panel had it in the shop, but he was unsure if it would be allowed or not. It was actually a small house of sorts. Comfortable for a few days, but not meant for more than that. He decided to look for something a bit more suitable for school. He really wasn't sure what he wanted.

He thought about that as he walked toward the store. It had to be roomy, but not flashy. He didn't want some curious idiot to trip all the wards he would put around it, but he needed a lot more room than a simple student trunk could give.

When he entered the shop he experienced the first incidence of 'Potter worship'. The clerk got a good look at him and yelped, “Harry Potter! Oh, Merlin! You're here.” He stumbled around like a fool while Yusuke looked at him like he'd lost his mind. He regretted leaving his sunglasses off.

Yusuke summoned all the gaki to come into the shop. He wasn't afraid of the man but he was wary of him. Who knew what a crazy man would do? He thought the gaki would keep him from having to kill the man, just by being there.

“Control yourself! Baka Gaijin!” He glared at the clerk, who gawped back. The look could have curdled the clerk's blood in his veins. “I need a trunk, not some ... chikushou! Shimatta!” His pointed glower brought the clerk back to his senses with a nearly audible click. “And who, exactly, invited you to use my name?”

The clerk realized that the person he saw was nothing like what he expected. This boy was hard and cold. His eyes sparkled with intelligence, but also pierced him like knives. He took a deep breath. “I'm so sorry, sir. It's just ... such a shock. We've ... the entire of Wizarding Britain have been looking for you for years. Now .. you're back. It's just ... exciting.” He sighed the last of his breath out then calmed himself. “What can I do for you?”

“I need a trunk. Not a student one. But not a five or nine compartment one either. Something in between.” Yusuke stood out of the clerks way and waited for him to do his job.

The man didn't disappoint him. “Ok. Not a student trunk, but nothing ... well, certain types of trunk are prohibited at Hogwarts. No trunk with a room compartment is allowed. Too much chance of ... illicit goings on. But we have a very nice apprentices trunk that is allowed.”

Yusuke motioned to a gaki, barking, “Help him. I have no intention of dealing with this fool longer than I have to.” Yusuke realized that he was on the verge of losing his temper, something that he knew was counter productive most of the time. And something that would disappoint his father. He sighed it away.

The gaki, who'd all braced for an epic explosion, relaxed. Two of them hurried to pull the trunk out for Yusuke to examine.

He watched as the clerk demonstrated its features. The first compartment was only accessed when the trunk was on its end; then a quick flick of the lock opened it out into a huge armoire, or wardrobe. The bottom section was two drawers, one for shoes and boots and the other for folded clothing. The shoe compartment held a dozen pairs of shoes and four pairs of boots. The upper drawer held underwear. Above the drawers, two doors opened to reveal a set of side drawers for sweaters, handkerchiefs, neckties and any other folded item. Yusuke knew that at least two of the eight drawers would hold kimono, hakama, obi and tabi. The rest of the space would hold shirts, suits, trousers and other hanging garments.

The second compartment was also accessed from the side. The clerk closed the trunk, turned it around and fiddled with the lock, explaining, “I'll show you how to do this. It's not hard.” Then he popped the trunk open again. This time it split neatly in half and morphed into a very well organized study area. The top part was a book case where the book you wanted was always to hand. The desk had a leather covered writing area with two inkwells. The clerk reminded Yusuke to remember to cap his inkwells. They wouldn't leak but the ink would dry out. There were several drawers that were obviously for paper, pens, scrolls and other study aids. Yusuke was pleased to see that the desktop was huge, allowing room to set out open books and it had a lectern to the left side, which allowed for reading a scroll without holding it. It had shallow trays in the front and back to keep the scroll from completely unrolling or falling off the desk.

The third compartment was empty and fairly large, the clerk said it was 10'x10', but was spelled so that no one could actually get into it. He showed Yusuke how to activate the shelves and racks. They rotated to the front via some mechanism that the clerk couldn't explain. He only knew how it worked. He said that anything put on the shelves or racks would remain in place, no matter how you shrank or turned the trunk.

“So you see? And I know that Professor Snape has one nearly like this. I think it's four compartments. One of them a complete potions lab.” The clerk sighed. This cold faced boy was nothing like what he had expected. He admitted to himself that he was slightly afraid of him.

Yusuke examined the spells around the trunk and nodded. After having the clerk demonstrate how to work the trunk he said, “Ok, I'll take it.” he walked out, taking Hedwig from Koga on the way. His patience was completely gone. All he wanted now was to go back to his house and have some tea.

Koga paid for the trunk, shrank it down with a gesture and dropped it into the shopping bag another gaki was carrying. They hurried after Yusuke, who was talking to Hedwig in Japanese. She seemed very interested in whatever he was saying.

He talked softly to her until all the gaki had gathered around him, he checked especially for the one he'd left in Madam Malkins. Then he drew a piece of ribbon from a pocket, handed Hedwig off to Koga and his overcoat to someone else. He turned the ribbon into a portkey, although that's not what he called it, and took them all back home.

He spent the next two weeks smoking, playing Hana Fuda and reading his text books. He also worked out. His sensei all said, “Never lose your edge.”

.

On August 20th, he realized that he'd never gotten any information on how to get to Hogwarts. Instead of doing what most 16 year old boys would do, which was bluff his way through, as he never bluffed, he just turned to Koga and said, “How the fucking hell do I get to Hogwarts?”

Koga shrugged, took a drag off his cigarette and said on a cloud of smoke, “No idea, Kumicho. I'll find out.” And with that he stood up from his cross-legged seat and ambled out, adjusting his yukata as he went. It didn't take him long to come back to settle on his zabuton again. “Ok, Kumicho. Here's the deal. You take a damn train. I asked about other ways there but it's supposed to be some sort of bonding experience. Get you in the right mood or something. Real pain in the ass. Need a ticket but I got a person on that.”

Yusuke made a face. “A fucking train? You've got to be kidding me.”

Koga just sighed. “No, Kumicho, I'm not. Talked to someone named McGona something. She said she's Deputy Headmistress. She's going to send a ticket.”

Yusuke just sighed, “Well, shit.”

Koga silently agreed, trains were the very devil for security reasons. All those people wandering around. He shook his head and settled in to smoke. He eyed his Kumicho out of the corner of his eye. He wondered why anyone would want that young terror in their school. And he, Miyamoto Yusuke Kumicho, was a terror. Yakuza didn't call someone Shinigami, God of Death, or Shikkō-sha, The Enforcer without good reason. He'd even heard the boy called  
Bokunenjin, the quiet one and Zankokuna tenshi, cruel angel. He had to admit that the last one was very applicable, the kid could really go off the deep end when someone threatened his family, especially his father or brothers. But he was just as defensive of his men. If you won his loyalty and love, it was a treasure beyond price. If you threatened his family, you'd better have your coffin ready. He thought that Bokunenjin fit well. When Yusuke-sama got quietly angry, things were bad. Shinigami fit him too, when he was ninja. He sighed smoke out his nose and returned his thoughts to security.

Yusuke smoked, thought and planned. He was almost invariably polite, he reserved shows of temper for impact, just as his father had taught him. With a few notable exceptions. However, these English wizards were beginning to annoy him. He wondered when, or if, he would need to kill someone. He didn't even jump when an owl landed on the window sill.

The owl politely offered it's leg to him. He took the small package off its leg, offered it a treat from a bowl on the table and turned to his mail. The package contained his ticket and directions to Platform 9 3/4 as well as how to get in by walking through the pillar between platforms 9 and 10. He shook his head in annoyance. These people were all crazy.

The next ten days were a trial to all the gaki, Miyamoto-kumicho was not in a good mood. He didn't take it out on them but they walked on eggshells anyway. Yusuke was less and less sure of the wisdom of his fathers orders, but Miyamoto-sama ordered, and Miyamoto Yusuke obeyed. This did, however, make his temper unsure, at best. He wasn't the sort of person who punished people just because he could, he left that to those who were unsure of their power and control, but he snapped a bit more than usual and smoked like a chimney.

The day of 1st September dawned sunny but chilly. Yusuke put on a steel grey suit by Armani with a light grey silk shirt and socks and Gucci shoes. His tie was a bluish grey. He scowled at the sky and grumbled, “It's damn cold. I already hate England.”

Koga cringed slightly but announced, “Me, too, Kumicho. And Scotland is even worse. You better take this.” He handed over the dark grey overcoat which Yusuke accepted and draped over his shoulders. You'd never catch him binding his weapons by buttoning a coat over them. Warming charms did a lot, but they worked better in conjunction with a warm garment, sympathetic magic could be a bitch.

They Folded to the alley behind King's Cross station without breaking step. Folding was very simple, the traveler just 'stepped' from here to there by folding reality. Yusuke had read about it in a physics book and figured out how to do it, with a lot of help from arithmancers, but still, the idea had been his. He had also been the first person to actually do it.

They entered the station via a door conveniently situated in that same alley. They walked to the barrier between wizard and muggle worlds. Then one reason why the young kumicho was in a bad mood was revealed.

“Well, I guess this is it.” Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck. “I hate leaving you all behind, but I'm not allowed gaki at school. Sucks, but there it is.” he blessed his new men with a blinding smile. “I'll miss you all. Go back to Japan until ... Christmas Holidays. I'll let you know when they start. Close up the house except for one of you.” he checked his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter. His trunk was in his mallet space as were several other useful things.

He also carried several weapons on his body. He had weapons in mallet space but it was sometimes hard to access that without letting on that he had it. He carried, as a matter of habit, a 9mm Beretta 93R in a shoulder holster, a set of throwing pins on his left forearm and a Balisong, or butterfly knife, in his pocket. He also had a tanto strapped to his outer right leg. His wand was in a wrist band that looked like a leather bracer about two inches wide. It worked like an old fashioned gamblers 'hand out' a simple motion and it was in his hand, another and the wand was back in its sheath. It wasn't that useful, yet, so he didn't intend to rely on it. His other magic was also ready. His rings worked like a wand and he had ofuda already written and tucked into his pockets and up his sleeves. There were also quite a few in his wrist band.

All the gaki lined up to bow to him as he made his way through the barrier. They stood, arms at their sides, and bowed in proper Japanese fashion. He bowed slightly, once, just before he stepped through the barrier.

He stepped into noise and confusion such as he had never seen before. He was used to the crowds and noise of Tokyo but this was different in a subtle way. The steam engine chuffed softly, people called to each other, rowdy children ran about. He looked around for a moment then stepped toward the train.

It was a lucky thing he did so as a crowd of red headed people poured through the barrier, talking loudly.

“Now, Ron, you know what Dumbledore said. Poor Harry is bound to be confused and frightened. You just make sure you befriend him.” The mother pushed Ron toward the train, followed by a red headed girl and two more red headed boys. These boys were twins. They cast apologetic glances at Yusuke and trundled a cart holding several trunks in the direction of the train.

Yusuke resolved to keep away from Ron and his red-headed family. They were too loud for him. He also wasn't happy with the fact that Ron had, evidently, been instructed to befriend him by someone untrustworthy.

He made his way through the crowd toward the train.

It didn't take him long to board and find a compartment. He thought about sealing the door but decided against it. He didn't really want company but he was going to need contacts. And he wondered if they were all going to be self-serving idiots. He settled back in his seat and lit a cigarette.

He was nearly done when the red head opened the door and glanced in. He started to enter but Yusuke challenged him with a glance, sunglasses winking. He grimaced then said, “Sorry. Can I come in? Everywhere else is full.”

Yusuke doubted that but didn't say so, he just inclined his head and pointed to the least desirable seat, the one next to the door on the pocket side. “Sit there, if you like.”

The boy frowned but settled in the seat. He cleared his throat then said, “Um ... Ron Weasley. Thanks. You?”

Yusuke shrugged, “Gomen. Sorry.” He sorted through forms and decided against any form other than a simple, “My name is Miyamoto Yusuke.”

Ron looked at the self-possessed boy and wondered at him. He couldn't be older than Ron but he acted much older. “Um ... hi. Do you know ...” He cleared his throat nervously, tugging at his collar. “Nice suit.”

Not feeling that this needed a reply, Yusuke just nodded and lit another cigarette. He pulled a kunai from mallet space and began flipping it in his hand.

Ron's eyes bugged out. He'd never seen anything like that, knives just popping out of empty air like that, most wizards needed something to transform into metal.

Yusuke just raised one eyebrow at him and put the kunai away. They sat in silence with Ron Weasley squirming once in a while. Yusuke smoked another cigarette before the door opened again.

This time it was a hesitant boy of their age with dark brown hair and brown eyes. His demeanor was almost timid. “Is it alright if I come in? All the other compartments are either full or have ... um ... people I don't get along with in them.”

Yusuke could tell that Ron was going to send the boy away, but he felt sorry for him so he just nodded and motioned to a seat opposite to Ron.

After the boy got seated Yusuke said, “Ohayō gozaimas. Watashi no namae wa Miyamoto Yusuke des.” he got one odd look, from Ron.

The other boy just said, rather hesitantly, “Ah! Oai dekite ureshī des. And that's the limit of my spoken Japanese. Sorry. My name is Neville Longbottom.”

Yusuke grimaced, “Warui. I forgot. Smoke?”

Neville refused politely. Yusuke lit yet another cigarette and sighed the smoke out his nose.

Ron glanced from one boy to the other then asked Neville, “Malfoy give you a hard time?”

Neville shook his head. “No, it was Seamus and The Twins. They're pranking everyone so it's not like I was singled out. But I'm just not in the mood. We're Sixth Year and ... well, they're Seventh. They should have outgrown that shit by now.”

Ron nodded, looking weary. “Yes, they should.” he agreed, “But at least you didn't have to use detection charms on everything you put in your mouth all summer. Mum was ready to murder them by the first week home.”

Yusuke perked up a bit at that. “Who? Can I help?”

Ron shook his head in disgust. “No, but thanks. Mum would really go spare if I murdered my twin brothers. No matter how annoying they are. And ... well, the trouble is ... they really don't mean anything by it. They just have no ... discretion or something. They think it's funny so they think everyone else will too. Sometimes they just get too rough.”

Neville nodded his agreement, then commented sourly, “They just don't have any idea that anyone might take their pranks amiss. I'm just glad they don't prank Ginny.”

“Yeah? Well, they do. She's the only one who can get away with hexing them back without it escalating into all out war.” Ron settled back in his seat grumbling about the unfairness of it all.

Yusuke just subsided into his seat, chiding himself for his offer. He knew better than that. If you were going to do murder, you were better off to keep your plans to yourself and just do it. A secret told was a secret old.

The third interruption came almost immediately after. The door rattled for a third time and Yusuke rolled his eyes. Surely the damn train wasn't that short of compartments.

The girl who stuck her head in the door had bushy hair, but beautiful eyes with heavy brows. Her cheekbones were just beginning to find their way out of baby fat and her lips would have been full if they hadn't been compressed into an annoyed line.

Catching sight of Ron Weasley she snapped sharply, “Well? Where's Ginny? She was supposed to sit with me.”

Ron replied carelessly, “How should I know? She took off with that blond from Ravenclaw, and some other girl. Leave them alone, can't you? Just because Mum is over protective, doesn't mean I have to make her miserable. Bossy.”

Yusuke caught the quiver of her chin where no one else bothered to even look at her. Not the seeing look that made a difference. It seemed that his newest 'project' had just presented herself. He'd have to be very careful, his father had warned him more than once about helping people who didn't want to be helped. He was also aware that some of the people who needed help most were totally unaware of that need. He leaned back to watch some more.

After a quick, catty exchange with Ron, who lost, the girl started to slam the door.

Yusuke stopped her with a soft, “And now that that little exchange is over, you are?” his rather cold tone indicated his displeasure with her rudeness as well as that of both Ron and Neville for not introducing her.

She flushed and said, “Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you clear over there. My name is Hermione Granger.” She gave him a nod.

“Miyamoto Yusuke. Please, either come in and sit down or ...” He let his voice trail off and waited to see what she would do.

“I was supposed to sit with Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister.” She gave Ron a pointed look. “But she went off with some friends, so now I'm sort of stuck.” she stepped into the compartment and dropped a heavy book bag on the floor. “Malfoy and his bunch crowded into the compartment I was in, and I had to leave. And it's not like they didn't already have a compartment. But could they leave me to study in peace? Oh, no, they couldn't. They're looking for Harry Potter. He's supposed to be on the train somewhere.” She settled with a scowl.

Yusuke sighed, a fussy one. Her tone of voice was bossy, fussy and a bit whiney. In other words, she had hectoring down to an art. He lit another cigarette, as he wondered if it was worth it, getting involved. He nearly jumped as a shrill squeal interrupted his contemplation.

“Eeuww! Do not smoke in here. Don't you know that cigarettes cause cancer. And you're endangering us all. Put that out.” She drew her wand.

Yusuke had no idea what she was about to cast, he wasn't about to let her cast anything. As he summoned her wand to his hand, his ring glowed slightly. “I'll smoke if I like. Don't ever cast on me ... ever. Do you understand?” His cold fury left everyone in the compartment on edge.

Hermione because she knew it was wrong to cast spells on the Express. Ron and Neville because they'd both seen the look in Yusuke's eye, the one that convinced them that he'd just as soon kill her as look at her.

Ron shook his head. “Granger, you're ... so muggle. Wizards don't get cancer. Not from smoking, not from anything. Nor emphy ... that lung disease that you were whittering on about last year. And, if you were going to cast aquamenti on him ... well, it's just stupid. Go stick your nose in a book.”

Hermione immediately sniffed in offended dignity. “Well, if you're going to be that way, just get cancer. See if I care.” And with that, she dragged a huge book from her bag and stuck her nose in it.

Neville gave Yusuke an apologetic shrug and grimace, while Ron just sighed and rubbed his face. Yusuke offered Ron a cigarette and was refused. He continued to smoke, but he did open the window to draw the smoke out. He considered what had just happened, and decided to keep an eye on things before he jumped into something. Reconnaissance was not his strong point but he was fairly good at it.

Now, Hermione had one guilty pleasure, that was going to change the course of things considerably. Just not right now. It seems that the thick book she was reading was a magical composite. She'd copied her reading materials into one large volume that she hoped would keep her in her favorite series for most of the term, if she rationed herself. She ignored the smell of smoke until her nose forgot about it.

Yusuke refrained from smoking after the one he was smoking burned down to a butt. He tossed that out the window and asked, “What do you do around here for entertainment?”

Ron glanced at Neville who just moaned, then said, “Go ahead. I'm going to read the Times.” and with that rather pithy comment he dragged a newspaper out of his robes and started to read.

Ron launched into an explanation of gobstones, which he declared for first years, exploding snap and Quidditch.

Yusuke brightened at the mention of exploding snap, anything that allowed for explosions couldn't be all bad. Gobstones sounded boring but Quidditch? That sounded like fun. He wondered if a broom would fly as fast as his oar.

They were interrupted by a soft exclamation from Neville.

Ron turned and asked, “What's wrong?”

Neville folded his paper carefully then said, “Just reading about that murder in Tokyo. The one where that herbalist got ... er ...” he cast a look at Hermione then flicked his eyes to Yusuke. “Someone gutted him. It's really nasty.”

Yusuke held out his hand for the paper which Neville hesitantly handed over, saying, “It's really gross. They put a picture in. It's not magical but it's still bad.”

After one glance, Yusuke shook his head. “It's not murder. I don't know why the Tokyo PD is saying it is. It's clearly a case of Seppuku. This man must have had ... I don't know the English. Great courage ... to commit Seppuku without a kaishakunin.” At their puzzled looks he explained, “A second. Someone to cut off his head so he wouldn't suffer. Unless he was persuaded to commit jumonji giri for some reason.” He looked at the picture again but he couldn't see much. The man had fallen over forward when he finally passed out.

He was a bit surprised when the Granger girl didn't demand an explanation, instead, she made a tiny whimpering sound and looked decidedly green. Neville was the one who demanded explanation.

Yusuke shrugged then explained, “Jumonji giri is when the person cuts both ways and then just waits to die. This guy didn't do the vertical cut, probably didn't have the strength so he only cut once. It was enough. Nasty way to die. I can't tell if he's ...” Yusuke decided to avoid unnecessary questions and just shrugged again. “Reporters.” He made a disgusted face. “I wonder if ... but ...hummm.” He blinked when Hermione made a small squeak. “Never mind.”

Yusuke settled back to think. He knew the man, or rather, of him. He was connected somehow. And a Yamaguchi would never remove himself from the gumi without permission. Something wasn't right here. He decided to leave this up to his father. After all, what could he do from here?

He was startled out of his contemplations by a soft, “Excuse me.” then Hermione left the compartment with one hand over her mouth. Yusuke looked after her for a moment then just gathered up her book and some papers and put them into her bag. She returned to the compartment and sat back down next to Neville. He handed her a potion, which she took without question. Ron just sneered at her.

Yusuke noted this as well. Ron, it seemed, couldn't make up his mind about Miss Granger. Neville, on the other hand, seemed to be her friend. Yusuke wondered at that, but, per his usual behavior, didn't ask any questions. He would keep his eyes and mind open to all possibilities just as he'd been taught.

.

As the train made its way through the land, Yusuke sunk into boredom. Now, anyone with any sense knows that a bored minor mage is not usually a good thing. So Yusuke spent his time charming his glasses to shift through a spectrum of different styles of lenses. Clear, rose, dark and one style which allowed him to see as if they were clear but kept them mirrored or dark at his whim. He also charmed them to protect him from Occlumency and blinding spells.

He looked up from his fiddling when the door rattled and a voice called, “Anything from the trolly, dears?” Yusuke stood to see what was available, but turned away when he saw that there was nothing but sweets. He wasn't fond of Western sweets, except for chocolate, and he was very particular about that.

After looking things over he politely said no and returned to his seat.

Hermione also avoided the sweets, taking only a cup of tea in a covered mug. Ron took several packets of crisps and a strange octagonal box about the size of the palm of Yusuke's hand.

Ron extended the box to Yusuke, saying, “Here. It's a chocolate frog. Just don't let it jump out the window or something.” Yusuke eyed it, but Ron tossed it into his lap. “Go ahead. I know what it's like not to be able to afford something extra. I worked for a farmer all summer so I could have pocket money this year.”

Yusuke realized that Ron thought he didn't have money, not that he wasn't interested. That had been nice of him, and Yusuke wasn't about to insult his generosity by refusing. He bowed from the waist, rising from his seat a bit to do so. “Domo arigato gozaimas Weasley-kun.” He opened the box and snatched the frog out of the air before it could do more than start its jump.

His startled expression made Ron chuckle a bit and Hermione giggled. “Is it alive?”

Hermione shook her head. “No. it's just a spell that lets it jump once. Some of them also have a hop or two. It's just chocolate. Try it, it's very good. But if you want really good chocolate, you have to try Honeydukes, it's the best ever.”

Yusuke took a bite of the frog, and smile slightly. “It is good.” He finished the frog, thanked Ron again and thanked Hermione as well. Good manners were cheap, and kept people from realizing just how good he was at what he did.

He thought back to his first face-to-face kill. It had been a man who had insulted his father by refusing to stop interfering in business. The protection offered was real, if expensive, and the man had tried to take over. It was the second business that Yusuke had been given.

He'd been twelve but already an accomplished ninja; his magic, along with intensive training, had seen to that. He smiled a bit as he remembered Genji leading him through Kata after Kata each more difficult than the last. It had taken him six months to master the intermediate Kata of Aikido and Shinkendo and a year to master the Iaido. But he had. He'd also learned how to throw almost anything throwable.

Genji-san had set up the operation and helped him to locate his target. He'd also explained the psychology behind what had to be done. One big show would save many lives. It was a case of completely annihilate one man, or spend months, if not years, putting out brush fires. And Yusuke, as Kumicho, had to do it himself.

And so he started on his second mission. This one a bit easier than the last, and much harder. Easier because he already knew where the target was and how to get to him, harder because he had to kill him in as messy a manner as possible. He just politely invited the man to practice tameshigiri with him, as the target. He didn't even have nightmares later. The man had threatened his Father and Family.

Yusuke shook himself out of his thoughts as the train whistle blasted for attention. The voice that came from nowhere announced that they had five minutes until they reached Hogsmeade Station. He watched in amusement as Neville and Ron dragged open robes on over their uniform of dark grey trousers, white shirt, grey vest and school tie. Hermione wore similar clothing except; instead of trousers, she wore a skirt and long socks, both in grey. He glanced at the socks again, finding them peculiarly tight.

It was a bit more than five minutes before they reached the station, but Yusuke didn't mention it. He just watched in amusement as his companions scrambled around, getting their possessions back into their bags.

They arrived at the station in a cloud of steam and a clatter of feet disembarking. Yusuke waited until everyone else was off the train then he followed at a leisurely pace. He wasn't about to embroil himself in the mad scramble of bodies seeking their way to the school.

“Firs' years. Firs' years, over here!” The voice was deep and quite loud.

Yusuke looked in the direction the voice was coming from. He saw a man who stood head and shoulders over even the tallest of seventh years. He towered over the first years like a redwood over an aspen. He was obviously at least half giant. Yusuke wandered in that direction, wondering why the first years would go in a different direction to the rest of the students. He decided to follow and see.

The path was narrow, but Yusuke was pleased to see that it was cleverly designed to give the illusion of danger without any actual danger involved. A small girl slipped and nearly fell, but he caught her by the arm. “Sah! Easy now.” He held her until she gave him a grin. He followed a bit more closely and helped here and there until they reached the dock. He saw the tiny boats and shook his head. Not for him, thank you. But he was pleased with the view of Hogwarts he was granted. The first years wouldn't be able to see it until they went around the low spit of land between the dock and the lake proper, but he was just tall enough. He smiled, the place was a castle and quite beautiful with all the windows alight with golden light. He turned to find his way back to the carriages he'd seen the older students boarding.

When he got back to the station the last carriage had just left. He grumbled a bit at that, but decided that they allowed plenty of time for a bunch of rambunctious kids to get into the carriages before they left. He reached into his mallet space and pulled out his traveling oar. It would get him to the castle just fine and he wasn't worried about getting lost, all he had to do was either follow the carriages or head for the lights.

He mounted side saddle to preserve the crease in his trousers, settled his coat more securely around his shoulders and drifted off after the last carriage.

He enjoyed his ride very much, the gates were huge wrought iron affairs and the view of the castle from the drive was impressive. He even liked the front courtyard, although he wasn't sure what the inhabitants had done to the place as it didn't resemble any castle he was familiar with. He shrugged mentally and braced himself for his introduction to the English Wizarding World. So far, he wasn't much impressed. In fact, he was more than a bit annoyed. First they force him to come then they basically ignore him until he found his own way. All in all, he wasn't impressed with anything, so far.

He found the front courtyard full of milling children and decided that he was better off out of it. His reflexes could be dangerous. One unexpected bump from behind, well, he didn't want to kill someone by accident. On purpose was something else entirely. He eased into position beside the huge main doors and watched with interest as the chattering clumps finally broke up and the students got themselves into the Great Hall.

He followed as far as the Front Hall then he looked around for some place to sit. Not finding one he pulled a small folding chair from mallet space and settled down to wait. He'd know when the sorting was finished.

This was one thing he'd learned about from Hermione. A hat? He wondered vaguely how it knew then decided, since Hermione had said that it was self-aware, that he'd just ask it.

As he waited, he reviewed everything he'd seen and heard.

.

Minerva McGonagall was not in a good mood. Albus was being his usual annoying self. Harry Potter was returning to Wizarding Britain, but Albus refused to tell her what he looked like now, or when he was actually arriving. She hated surprises, especially Dumbledore's.

When she saw the first years, she realized that Harry Potter wasn't among them although, on consideration, she didn't see why he should be. He was, after all, a sixth year. She put the stool down and placed the Sorting Hat on it, then she motioned to Professor Flitwick and, when he came over to her, whispered, “See if you can't find Mr. Potter. As you can see, he's not with the first years.”

Fillius nodded and eased over to the wall, slipped down to the back of the room and out the door into the entry hall. He opened it to find a young man sitting on a folding chair, smoking a cigarette. He fixed a smile on his face and walked up to him.

He wasn't fond of new muggle-born students, not because they were muggle, but because they stared at him most rudely.

“Mr. Potter, I presume.”

Yusuke looked at the quarter goblin and said, “I suppose. I am Miyamoto Yusuke, but my English name is Harry James Potter.”

Professor Flitwick nodded, pleased that the boy didn't stare. “I see. Which do you prefer?”

“Miyamoto. I'm not sure whether to make a point of it, or let it be. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the matter, sir.”

The professor shook his head then apologized. “I'm so sorry. Where is my head? Professor Fillius Flitwick, Charms.”

Yusuke stood up, bowed with the proper deference and said, “Miyamoto Yusuke, Kumicho.”

Flitwick nodded then rubbed his chin in thought. Yusuke waited patiently until the professor got his thoughts in order. Finally he said, “Trying to get everyone to think of you as other than Harry Potter is going to be an exercise in futility. Save your arguments for other things. Get those students who become your friends to call you Yusuke as a nickname. And a test of their intentions. You see?”

Yusuke did see. “I do. Thank you for your advice, Flitwick-sensei.” He realized that getting people to call him what he liked was truly a litmus test of true friendship, as opposed to hero worship or self-serving attachment.

Flitwick, who was vaguely acquainted with Japanese through his dueling, just smiled and remarked, “We'd better get inside before Minerva has a fit. The first years should be done by now. I'll just ...”

Yusuke smiled down at the friendly professor. “Why don't you go take your place. I'll just wait here until you open the doors for me. Yes?”

Professor Flitwick wondered a bit at what the boy had planned, but who was he to steal another man's thunder. He made his way back to the head table with a slight smile on his face.

.

Albus Dumbledore waited impatiently for the first sight of young Harry. He knew he'd made a serious mistake trusting the Dursleys to take proper care of baby Harry, but he just hadn't ever thought of family not loving family. He was also afraid that forcing the boy back to England was not going to endear the wizarding world to the boy. He'd just have to wait and see. He returned his thoughts to the new bill before the ICW.

The whole room startled when the doors banged open, slamming against the back wall and sticking there. Standing in the opening was a slender figure with long raven black hair in a high tail. He was wearing an elegant suit with a duster slung negligently over his shoulders. His highly polished Gucci shoes made no sound as he walked down the center aisle toward the dais where the head table sat. All the students stared and whispered which Yusuke ignored with aplomb. He stopped and bowed slightly to the table.

He decided not to hide the fact that he wasn't as comfortable in English as they might expect.

He was saved from having to introduce himself by the tall older lady. She called him up to the stool in front of her and said, “Come now, Mr Potter. Sit on the stool..” she flicked her wand to reinforce and heighten it. “and I'll put the Sorting Hat on you. It won't take a moment.”

Yusuke settled on the stool and allowed the hat to be lowered onto his head.

“Well, well, well. Very different.”

Yusuke started. “Who's there?” he was careful to keep his voice soft.

A voice replied in his head, “Why the Sorting Hat, of course. Who were you expecting? Merlin?” the tone was amused, a bit condescending, but not in any way hostile.

Yusuke replied, “Merlin? Who's that? No, never mind, I just remembered. What now?”

The hat, it had to be the hat, replied, “Now, I sort you. So. Hummmm. Where to put you. Very different from what I expected. Loyal, but you'd destroy Hufflepuff in a day. Intelligent, yes, yes, but ... Ravenclaw is definitely not for you. They'd drive you to distraction in seconds. Slytherin? No, no, you'd kill someone before weeks end. So, Gryffindor is the house your parents were in but I'm not sure that would be good either. Where would you like to go?”

Yusuke thought about that for a moment, then said, “I don't really care. Somewhere where I can ... the least annoying place? Or the most interesting. I really don't want to be here at all.”

The hat carefully pushed its probe a bit deeper. It usually didn't have to go this deep but this boy was complicated. “I see. You're very mature for your age and an accomplished ... Assassin? Heavens, what have you been doing?” it probed deeper still. Yusuke shifted uncomfortably but allowed the intrusion. What was a hat going to do to him after all? “Ah! Yes, yes. I see. Let me think a bit.”

Yusuke allowed the hat exactly ten seconds before he asked, “And how do you speak Nihongo so well?”

“Thoughts have no language, boy, now hush. This is very difficult.” The hat went back to its ruminations while Yusuke settled to wait.

It finally announced in the confines of Yusuke's head, “I think Gryffindor would be best. It is where everyone expects you to be. You're certainly brave enough.” So the hat shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Yusuke stood up, took the hat off, put it on the stool and looked around. His eye was immediately caught by Hermione Granger and two red-headed boys waving him towards the table they were seated at. He strolled over, stuck his coat in mallet space, to goggling eyes, and settled between Hermione and one of the twins.

He looked up then down the table. Seated nearby he saw Neville Longbottom. Neville took it upon himself to introduce him to the rest of the sixth year students and a few fifth and fourth years as well. Yusuke did his best to remember faces and names but was relieved when Neville said, “But don't worry too much about remembering everyone. Just ask when you forget. Now. Food.” with that, food did appear on the table, much to Yusuke's surprise.

He was also surprised to see some of his favorites situated near him. The rest of the food was standard English fare. Not something he was fond of, most of it was too heavy for him.

The two red-heads, who were brothers to Ron Weasley, eyed a platter near them then Fred, or maybe George, said, “It's raw. Shouldn't you send it back? The elves forgot to cook it?”

Yusuke shook his head, but Granger butted in. “No, it's sashimi, it's supposed to be raw.”

Yusuke just helped himself to some of everything he recognized, and let Granger explain what was on each plate. He was interested to see that everyone nearby tried something, most of them took a cooked form of sushi, but Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom each took sashimi and knew how to eat it. He filed that away for further examination later.

.

Dumbledore was shocked when Harry entered the room, he seemed so cold and distant. When he gave Professor McGonagall a slight smile as she put the hat on his head, he was slightly reassured.

Professor Flitwick was reminded pleasantly of his dueling days. This young man knew how to make an entrance. He was looking forward to having him in classes.

Minerva McGonagall was a bit shocked by her new student, in more ways than one. He smelled of tobacco and cloves, and he was very polite from what she could see. His small bows proved that he'd been raised in an old family. But there was something about his cold self-possession that worried her.

The rest of the staff all thought he looked very elegant in his muggle suit and coat. His long hair suited him.

Severus Snape was in a quandary. He'd been ready to hate the son of James Potter, his old nemesis, but this boy didn't look much like him. Instead, he looked astonishingly like Lily.

Dumbledore finally dismissed the students to find their rest.  
.

Authors Note.  
A galleon is not a dollar. Too many stories treat it as if it was. By my math, taking into account boring things; a galleon is worth about 30 dollars. So a Sickle is about a dollar. And I checked just now, a Yen is worth 1.24 cents. So a candy bar costing $1.75 would cost 141 Yen.

The pattern book in Madam Malkins is not like Simplicity or McCalls. It's a book with artistic renderings of what the robes look like.

Yusuke is pronounced

y oo s - k ai  
y  
oo  
s  
-  
k  
ai  
yes  
food  
so  
   
key  
pain  
You might find a sound clip on a Yu-Yu Hashuko site


	6. Chapter 6

Yusuke followed the rest of his housemates up staircase after staircase, most of them moving. He didn't approve of this at all, especially after someone named Dean Thomas admitted that he'd fallen off one in first year and broken his leg. His cheerful, “But Madam Pomfrey mended it in no time.” wasn't reassuring at all. He was well aware of skele-grow, but he was also aware of its shortcomings.

The real problem was that, if you didn't get enough vitamin D and Calcium, you robbed other bones for materials to mend the broken one. It could leave all your bones fragile. Yusuke wasn't fond of some of the other effects either.

He listened to the short lecture on remembering the password and not counting on someone else to let him in. The fat woman in the portrait nodded her head and said, “And no foolishness with me either. Now, go in.” and with that she swung aside to allow everyone to enter.

Yusuke looked around the common room and shuddered. It was very English, decorated in maroon and mustard, chairs, couches and tables of various sizes were scattered around in groupings obviously intended to encourage studying. He thought it would encourage socializing instead. He was glad he'd gotten the trunk he had. He was going to have to have a private place to study, this noisy room was totally unsuitable. However, it did look like a nice place to socialize and make contacts.

The Head of House, Professor McGonagall, gave a short speech then pointed to the stairs off to the right. “There are the boys dormitories. Mr Potter, you will find that it is impossible for boys to enter the girls dorm. However, the girls may enter the boys from 7am to 8pm.” Yusuke gave her a disbelieving look. “I know. It's ridiculous. To continue, you will be rooming with Neville Longbottom, Ronald Weasley, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. They will be happy to show you how to go on.” With that, she turned to the first years and began assigning them to a prefect who was to help them get settled. Yusuke followed his roommates up the stairs.

The room at the top of the circular staircase was not what Yusuke was used to. He was used to his six-tatami room with its wood floors, sliding shoji and clean lines. What was revealed when he entered his new quarters was a circular room crowded with five beds, four trunks and a mess of stove and coal.

Neville glanced around and realized that all the elves had done was push all the old beds over a bit and add one more. He sighed and turned to Harry. “I'll help you, if you want. Um ... that's my bed, there's Ron, Dean and Seamus. That leaves you with the one farthest from the door. We can shift stuff around a bit, if you like.”

Yusuke nodded absently while he looked around. His bed was against the far wall and the shape of the room left a perfect place for his trunk behind the head. This would make it possible for him to leave it in place and just shut and lock it. Rather than having to keep it at the foot of his bed in trunk form. He hadn't been looking forward to constantly laying it down and setting it back up again.

He nodded again, this time at Neville. “Thank you, Longbottom-kun. This will be fine.” He looked around more carefully, then said, “Although, it is exceptionally dirty.” a wave of his hand pulled all the dirt and cobwebs into a compact ball. He looked around then said, “Finnigan-san, please open the window.” Seamus, wide-eyed at this display of wandless magic, thrust the window open and got out of the way. The ball of dirt whisked itself out. “Arigato, Finnigan-san.”

Seamus didn't recognize the language so he just said, “Excuse me?”

“Ah! Warui. Thank you.” Yusuke decided he needed to start trying to think in English again. “Sorry. My English is not as good as you might expect. I had EASL teachers but only for a few hours a month.”

Seamus and Dean both just nodded their heads agreeably. Ron Weasley looked a bit indignant then said, “What? You don't speak English? How come? You are English.”

Yusuke just shrugged elegantly and said, “I went to Japan very young. I learned quickly and well. I don't use English in my everyday life. I speak Nihongo daily.” as he was speaking, Yusuke moved to put his trunk in place. He turned it on end, or upright, depending on your point of view. He opened it and emptied his pockets into a basket in the storage compartment. He knew he had to sort some things out but he could do that in the morning. Then he shut it, opened it to the clothing section and took out a yukata for sleeping.

Ron grumped and grumbled a bit, then announced, “You can't have a compartment trunk. Hogwarts rules.”

Yusuke just snapped, “The rules say I can't have a trunk with a compartment that creates an enclosed room. This trunk contains a study area, a storage area and a wardrobe. That is all.” He didn't bother to tell them all the things in his storage. His opinion was that it wasn't their business.

Neville nodded, he'd wanted something similar for his newest trunk, but his Gran had turned him down. Seamus and Dean both looked suitably impressed and didn't push the issue.

Yusuke nodded to the room, not quite a bow, but close. “I am going to bathe. I believe privacy is required here?”

Neville shook his head. “It's rather communal, but we try not to get in each other's space.”

Yusuke smiled slightly at Neville. He thought he was going to like this soft spoken, kindly boy. “Arigato, Longbottom-kun.” He was going to see if he couldn't put some starch in the boy's spine. It would be good for him.

“Do itashimashte, Yusuke-san.” Neville drew on what he knew from his experience in Japan and smiled back.

Yusuke took himself off to bathe, put on his yukata over a pair of boxers and returned. He did another cleaning spell on his bed and climbed in. He'd slept in Western style beds before and was used to them. He wasn't that fond of the odd curtains all around it, but decided he'd get used to them. They might be very useful in keep him from waking his roommates with an almost all night reading session. As he'd gotten older his need for sleep had decreased from four to six hours down to three or four. He used the hours to study, read, do business or workout.

He settled against his pillows and quietly listened to his roommates as they horsed around, eating candy and telling stories about their summers. He was very sure no one would like to hear about his.

.

He'd been eating breakfast when one of the kyōdai had hurried in and told Musashi that there was an invasion on one of the far islands. Urup was one of the islands that the Yamaguchi-gumi claimed as their own. The Russians disagreed.

They invaded the Yamaguchi Northern Possessions from time to time, trying to claim them for Russia. The Japanese government ignored these proceedings with a stoic, “There's nothing we need to do about it. Mobsters fighting mobsters.” But everyone noticed that they made sure that anyone injured got the best of care and Russians were imprisoned on various trumped up charges, smuggling being one.

The kyōdai had given coordinates and Yusuke had called his men to him. They'd mounted their oars and soared off into the sky, flying North at an incredible rate.

It took them half an hour of flying at top speed to get to the area where the Russians had made their forward camp. This was situated near a small lake at the far northern part of the island. It was a good place to camp as the lake was in a depression, which sheltered it from off shore winds. But, this also made it hard to defend as attackers could get the higher ground.

It didn't hurt that it was nearly inaccessible by mundane means. The only way in and out was by flight. And only oars were small enough to get in due to the thick growth of trees.

They had flown in like a murder of crows, devastating their foes in seconds. Yusuke had been in the lead of a triangular formation that cut a swath of death through the camp. No one escaped their wrath. This was their territory and no one, no one at all, was allowed to invade without facing consequences.

Yusuke had finally flicked the last traces of blood from his katana, and wiped it on the shirt of the one man still living. The soft ring of the sword entering its saya sounded loud in the clearing. Yusuke just looked at the man, the commander of the group, until he was a whimpering mess.

Yusuke glanced at his two seconds. “Suggestions.”

Someone called out, “Cut out his tongue.”

Yusuke just looked at the wakashu until he began to sweat. “And why would I do that when I want him to carry a message? Baka!” He turned away, knowing that the wakashu was properly chastised. He returned his attention to the commander. “You! You will return to your Oyabun and tell him that the next time he encroaches on our territory, I will come for him. Do you understand?” He kept his voice soft and low, but the man paled even more than he already had and nodded so hard he nearly gave himself whiplash.

The man had been sent on his way after a beating that left him nearly unconscious.

Miyamoto Musashi had received an apology from the Russian Mafia boss a day later. It had included some very nice vodka and caviar.

.

Yusuke was pulled from his memories by Ron, who asked, “And what did you do for your summer?”

Yusuke smiled around, looking somewhat like his namesake, Shinigami, and said, “Not much. Worked out, did kanji exercises, entertained my father, killed a few people. The usual.”

Neville turned a bit grey, but Ron, Dean and Seamus scoffed at this with various degrees of rudeness. Yusuke just shrugged, tossed a few bits of paper around and announced, “I'm going to sleep. Don't bother me. And don't tamper with my trunk, you won't like the results.” A wave of his hand closed the curtains. He would spend four hours reading his books, then sleep until dawn.

The other's grumbled a bit at that rudeness, but Neville remarked, “I don't think he's kidding about his summer. And there's something about the way he talks ... but I can't put my finger on it.” He sighed. His memory was just as bad as ever. “I'm tired from the train ride, and it's going to be a long day tomorrow. I'm going to bed too. Good night.” And he also went to bed.

Dean, Ron and Seamus stayed up a while longer, talking about Harry Potter, and wondering about where he'd been and what he'd really been doing. They all remarked on his attitude of faint contemptuous hauteur.

They all slept the night through.

Yusuke awoke as the first rays of dawns light shone in the window. He eased out of bed, then grimaced. The silencing spells had blocked the sound of Weasley's stentorian snoring. Neville wasn't too bad, but Dean and Seamus both made a back up of hoots and whistles that would keep a deaf man awake.

He decided to do his exercises before showering and dressing for the day. The only problem was, where to go. He decided to call for a servant to see if they could find him a dojo.

“Service please.” Yusuke was a bit startled by the oni who showed up. It was about a third of his height with huge eyes and flapping ears. It was dressed in a clean garment of cloth draped around it's body. It touched him gently with a delicate long fingered hand.

“You is not being calling a house elf, young sir. Students is not being allowed.”

Yusuke put his cards on the table, figuratively speaking. “I don't want to be here, I have other things to do. But your ministry threatened to steal my inheritance if I didn't come to this place. So ... I'm not in favor of following rules that are ... inconvenient. I will try not to make things difficult for you.”

The elf made a rude face. “Do not be calling it my ministry. They is all busybodies. What is you needing?”

“I need a place ... a dojo. To work out in. And I don't want to be running all over this drafty pile of rock twice a day. Can you help?'' Yusuke dipped his head in a slight bow. He was always fairly scrupulous about his dealings with servants. They had a hard enough time without him adding to it, and he found that a modicum of politeness got him excellent service.

The elf nodded, ears flapping. “Yes, there is a salle. A place for sword fighting. Very big. Very open. Is this helping?”

Yusuke knew exactly what a salle was. “If it's a big one. Show me, dozo.”

The elf led him down the stairs, saying politely, “Dizzy is this one's name, not dozo. This way please”

Yusuke decided to let that go in favor of finding the dojo sooner.

The elf, Dizzy, led him through the common room and out the portrait guarded door. They turned left at the first landing and were faced with a short corridor with a door at the end. But, instead of going to the door, the elf turned right, facing a blank wall. “Here we is, sir. Just touch the wall with your magic. If you is acceptable to the salle, you is being let in.”

Yusuke put his hand on the wall and reached out with his Chi, the door slid open with a soft sound of wood sliding on wood. The elf disappeared with a soft pop and Yusuke walked in to the salle.

He wondered why the elf had called it a salle as it was obviously a dojo, complete with a matted area surrounded with tatami then encircled with benches padded with thin cushions.

One wall contained a huge rack of weapons, from tanto to tachi, to naginata and a heavy spear. There were shelves full of gi, shirikin and throwing pins, rope and chain darts and sectional whips under them.

It was divided in the traditional manner into quarters. One quarter was the matted area and one was another area surrounded by a low divider made like a banister. This area contained zafu and zabuton with attendant small tables scattered over the area. The other two were a changing area and an area with exercise machines.

These machines were surprisingly modern in appearance, but Yusuke wasn't that surprised. It was more or less like the dojo he had at home. He would later find out that Hogwarts elves had set this up just for him. Miyamoto's arm was very long indeed.

Yusuke reached into his mallet space and pulled out his hakamashita and hakama as well as a fundoshi. He put them on, tossing his street clothes into mallet space, and started with some tai chi to warm up with. He worked his way through his kata, starting with simple Iaido and moving through more and more complex kata then on to shinkendo kata until he finally carefully sheathed his sword and knelt, sweating and panting on a zafu to rest a moment before moving on to a yoga cool down. This was followed by half an hour of meditation.

He returned to the dorm just in time to see Weasley blown across the room. He sneered and said, “Tampering with my things is not a good idea. I did warn you, didn't I?”

Ron stumbled to his feet with a snarl. “Potter! You're not allowed a multi-compartment trunk. Hogwarts rules.”

Yusuke just shrugged. “So? Do I really care? I was dragged here. I don't want to be here. I'd much rather still be in Japan, but your ministry threatened to confiscate my inheritance if I didn't. So here I am, under protest. Deal.”

Dean and Seamus had been pleased to realize that they were going to room with The-Boy-Who-Lived, but now they weren't so sure. This elegant young man wasn't anything like what they'd expected. He was harder, colder and certainly much more mature than anyone else their age that they'd met. Neville just sighed, this was not going to go well.

Yusuke for his part, wasn't that thrilled with his roommates either. They were, to his eyes, very immature, frivolous and silly. Neville was the best of the lot, only because he was shyer than the rest.

Ron just glowered then mumbled something about telling Professor McGonagall. Yusuke snorted. He really didn't care if someone went and complained. But, he wasn't about to tolerate that attitude for a moment.

“Yes, please do. If you want to wake up with a canary in your mouth. I don't like tell tales, it isn't good for business. Nor your reputation. And what are you without that?” And with that final remark, he turned to find clean clothing for the day. He absently dragged his dirty clothing out of mallet space and dropped them into the hamper behind his trunk. He pulled off his hakama and pulled the hem of his hakamashita down to his ankles with a quick spell. Then he ambled into the bathroom. He didn't mind taking showers, but he was going to want a real bath now and then, at least twice a week. He decided to ask a house oni about it.

For now, he satisfied himself with a long hot shower, put his hakamashita into his mallet space and dressed for the day. He'd decided on a compromise uniform, comfortable BDU pants with soft soled combat style boots specially made for him and a t-shirt with kanji on it. He tugged his robe on over this and left it open. Since he was wearing a t-shirt he left his Beretta in his wardrobe. He kept his other arms as his throwing pin sheath looked like a bracer and his wand sheath looked like a wrist band. He kept his kunai in the wrist sheath and his balisong in his pocket. He stuffed a tanto into his left boot and headed downstairs for breakfast.

.

His entry into the common room was greeted by what seemed to be a huge sigh of relief. He glanced around suspiciously, wondering what the hell was going on now.

A small voice pipped out, “ Harry Potter. You're going to save us all from You-Know-Who, right?”

Yusuke just blinked at the small boy for a moment. He started to get nasty but realized that the kid couldn't be more than what they called a second year. He just shrugged and said, “I have no idea what you're talking about. I know who?” he shook his head irritably. “No, I don't know who. And who the hell are you?”

The boy looked astonished then said, “Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Michael Porter You-Know-Who., I mean ... um ...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Him. You're going to protect us from Him, right?” Michael looked confused, upset and afraid.

Yusuke sighed, “I don't know who you're talking about. I was raised in Japan. I have no idea what you expect of me.” He started to turn away, but waited a moment to see if someone would explain things to him. If not, he was going to have to find out some other way. If they were expecting protection, he had to know the particulars. 

The soft muttering of most of the house followed him out the door with Michael's voice a shrill counterpoint. As did Hermione Granger.

“Yusuke, wait for me.” Yusuke, who knew he had to start thinking of himself as Harry, or he wouldn't answer when called, turned to smile at her. “I know all about this. I'll tell you what I know over breakfast. Ok?”

“Yes, that would be good. You could call me Harry, if you like ... I think.” He let his distaste for the name change show on his face.

“I'll rather call you what you like. Is Yusuke-kun ok?” Hermione thought it would be fun to address him by his Japanese name.

Harry, he firmly admonished himself to remember that, said, “That would be nice. Thank you. I shall call you Hermione-chan. Yes?”

“Oh, I'd like that. Now. What do you know? I'll start from there. And...” She flushed. “If I get TMI on you, tell me. I do tend to lecture.” She sighed heavily. “Most people here just tolerate me, I know that. But I just can't help it. If someone is doing something wrong, they could get hurt, or hurt someone.”

Harry bowed slightly and offered her his arm on the stairs, he just didn't trust stairs that moved on their own to be safe. “I'll tell you. But I know absolutely nothing about any of this. All I know is that I am a legacy to this school, and, if I don't attend for the next two years, the Ministry of Magic of Britain will take my inheritance. It's a lot of money. Bad for business. I would just let it go myself, but my adoptive father Miyamoto Musashi asked me to come. So ... I did.”

Hermione thought about that as they navigated the first flight of stairs. “Oh. Um ... I'm not sure that is legal. But with this Ministry? It really isn't unusual for Fudge to pull a fast one, or two. So ... You're the Boy-Who-Lived.” And with that, she spent the rest of the walk to the Great Hall telling Harry/Yusuke about himself.

At the end, all he could do was ask, “And how do they know all that happened that night? It doesn't make sense.”

Hermione blinked for a moment then said, “Well, everyone knows ... but ... Well.” She frowned in thought, nibbling on a piece of bacon.

“Exactly, Hermione-chan. I don't know who 'they' are, but the solid facts are ... Voldemort found out where my parents and I were. He broke in, killed my parents then disappeared. I was found with a cut on my head. I'm pretty sure I didn't do much at the age of fifteen months. Especially since I was completely unable to defend myself from my uncle only weeks later. So ... for the sake of my sanity, let’s say that no one really knows what happened and move on.”

Hermione nodded at this bit of cynical wisdom and continued on to explain that there was some sort of prophecy, which no one actually knew, that he was the savior of the wizarding world or something. No one seemed really sure of this, but 'everyone' knew it was so. So they idolized Harry Potter and seemed to think they all knew him and that he owed them some sort of service.

As they settled at the table, Harry shrugged and announced, “I know all about protection rackets, and they don't get something for nothing. Trying to take my inheritance instead of paying me a proper fee is not going to get them anywhere. As long as He and his gumi leave me alone, there won't be any problems between us.”

Hermione thought about that for a moment then decided that it all was something to deal with when the proper time came. “Well, that's alright then. Pass the pumpkin juice, please.”

Harry handed the pitcher over, sniffing it suspiciously as he did so. Hermione poured herself some then offered. “Would you care for some, Yusuke-kun?”

He reached over and took her goblet. He sipped it then forced himself to swallow. He choked out, “No. Ahem! I don't believe so. Thank you all the same.” He put the goblet back where it had been, and gulped some tea to get rid of the taste. “That stuff is way too sweet for me.”

Neville had settled opposite Harry, and had listened to their conversation with interest. He now interjected himself into it by asking, “Do you know what classes you'll be taking yet?”

Harry started to answer, but was interrupted by an argument down the table.

Ron Weasley was arguing with a girl who was obviously his sister.

“You can't give that away. Mum bought it for you.” Ron was holding what was obviously a journal book covered with well worn green suede.

Ginny was red faced and clearly angry. “I'll give it away, if I like. I'd never keep a journal. Any girl with six brothers who would do something like that is an idiot. Give it!”

Harry just gestured with one hand. The book flew out of Ron's grasp and bounced up and down in front of Ginny until she grabbed it. She then handed it off to a first year, saying, “I said you could have it, and I meant it. If Mum had wanted me to write in it she would have said, not just stuffed it in my cauldron in my first year.” She turned to Ron. “And you leave her alone, you hear me?”

Ron mumbled something incomprehensible and returned to his breakfast.

Ginny turned to Harry and gave him a brilliant smile. “Thanks. Ron's such a prat. Can I sit with you?” Harry nodded and moved over a bit. “Imagine, me sitting with Harry Potter. Wow.”

“You could call me Yusuke.” Yusuke waited to see what she said.“Why would I do that? That's just silly. Your name is Harry Potter, so why should I call you something foreign?” Ginny's evident satisfaction with this remark left several people with displeasing thoughts.

Neville thought she was shallow but he had for years. Harry thought she was stupid and obnoxious. Hermione just sighed, the poor girl would never realize what she had done, nor understand why her hero held her at arms length.

Professor McGonagall waited until everyone was finished eating then passed out the timetables. She smiled thinly at Harry and said, “Here you are, Mr. Potter. Headmaster Dumbledore saw fit to mark a few changes.” She grimaced then finished, “If you see fit to agree, just initial where indicated and I'll make the changes.”

Harry looked at the original timetable, it had all the classes he wanted on it. The emendations were in green and were all the classes he had rejected as useless. He was also taking Potions, which he had not included on his original.

“The black table is the one I decided on with one difference. Potions. I did not wish to take that class.” Harry handed the parchment back to the professor.

McGonagall nodded. “I do realize that but Dumbledore will not be swayed on this one. I believe that he altered your timetable in the way he did so that you would not notice Potions being a requirement. Do what you will, he'll see you in that class, damn the consequences. I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but there's not much I can do about it.” The professor looked annoyed for a moment.

Professor McGonagall was suffering from a crises of conscience. She knew that Harry Potter was necessary to the war against Voldemort, but she didn't like the way the ministry was going about getting him to help. Threatening a sixteen year old, really. So, she was going to go out of her way a bit for him. Even though his attitude annoyed her. Refusing the Potter name did not go over well with her. Not that she really regretted interfering with Dumbledore's plans, she was annoyed at him too. He could have done a bit more to stymie the Ministry plans, via Fudge, she was sure. But, he'd been at the ICW meeting instead of in his office at said ministry as scheduled.

While she was thinking, Yusuke was also thinking. “McGonagall-sensei, you could call me Yusuke, if you wish.” He returned his attention to the parchment. “This will do, I suppose. Potions is only one more class since I'm not taking any of the other suggestions. Is there a juku here?”

McGonagall pulled her thoughts back to the present. “You will refer to me as Professor, Mr. Potter. And it would be completely unethical for me to call you ... Yusuke. I don't know what a juku is so I'm sure we don't have one. Some heathen amusement, I assume. Now ... head for your class.” She handed back the parchment and strode off.

Yusuke, or Harry, gazed after her for a moment then shrugged, relegated her to the list of not helpful people and turned to Hermione.

“Well, I suppose she told me. What class do you have?”

Hermione took his timetable and compared it to hers. “We're taking all the same classes. Exactly. I'll set up a study guide and a schedule as soon as we have our first assignments.” She suddenly flushed. “If that's ok by you, that is.”

Harry was used to someone else making up his schedule so he just nodded, “Ah. That is fine. Thank you.”

Hermione glanced at her schedule then announced, “Our first class is Charms. Professor Flitwick. Come on. Being late is one of the few things he'll take points for.”

Harry eyed his schedule as he obediently followed her. After a moment he asked, “Why do we have Double Potions then a single later?”

“Double Potions is the lab and the single is review of the potion, assignment of the new chapter, question and answer and assignment review. Snape assigns the next weeks lab and we go over things. Well, he gives a review and we take notes. He's ... not much of a teacher as such. He expects us to know things. I better shut up. He doesn't like me much.” Hermione turned bright red and clutched at the strap of her huge book bag.

Weasley decided to butt in just then. “Yeah, Ol' Snape doesn't like her, even less than other Gryffindors. She's a 'bloody great know it all' according to him. Called her insufferable. Takes points for breathing too loud. Git.”

Hermione turned even redder. “He does. And he'll ask questions that he's sure no one knows the answer to. Just to be a ... a...” she closed her mouth, looking put out.

“Ah! Ikuzo. Na! Come on, we'll be late to class.” Harry touched Hermione's bag, casting a feather light charm on it. “Why don't you do this yourself?”

Hermione put the strap over her shoulder. “Because I can never get the spell to stick to the leather. Thanks.”

Harry just offered her his arm. This might not be so bad after all. He had a definite saving people thing, and loved to mix in other people's – help people with their problems. His father found it amusing.

They found their seats where Harry wanted to sit. His hand on Hermione's arm made sure that she sat where he wanted. Neville joined them on Hermione's other side. Weasley settled in front of them. Harry made a slight face at that, he was still not sure what to make of the redhead. However, he'd wait and see. Often the most useless seeming people turned out to be worthwhile.

Hermione sighed. Maybe this time she could keep a friend. She just hoped that Yusuke kept his word to tell her when she got overbearing and too critical. Then she saw who had just entered the room and groaned softly. “Malfoy.”

“Nani?” Yusuke looked around. He had to stare for a second. The boy Hermione was pointing out was one of those ferrety faced sorts that only the English seemed to produce. He stood in the door for a moment, looking around with an expression of arrogant disdain. Then he moved into the room, selected a seat and settled into it, arranging his robes in a fastidious fashion that Harry found over exaggerated and silly. He dismissed him as a spoiled scion of some nouvelle rich new blood family. His heritage couldn't be more than 600 or 700 years old.

“Sou ka. He thinks he is someone?” Harry turned to look at Hermione and Neville.

Neville answered his question. “His family came over in the Norman invasion. He's stuck up and rude.” He shrugged. “My family and the Potters were here before his by about a thousand years. Of course, our names weren't Potter and Longbottom then.”

Hermione nodded her understanding while saying, “Well, they were but in a different language.”

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat to gain their attention, took attendance then told them that he was sure they'd done their summer work so they would start by reading the first chapter in their text book. Harry opened his book and got out a yellow legal tablet and a rollerball to take notes. Hermione hissed at him but he ignored her, so did the professor.

After he was sure everyone was dutifully reading their books, Professor Flitwick called Harry over to his desk.

Harry went up and bowed to Flitwick. “Yes, Flitwick-sensei?”

Professor Flitwick just smiled at him cheerfully. “Yusuke-san, I just want to establish your proficiency. I don't want you to be at a disadvantage. I understand that you've been home-schooled?”

“Hai. Ah! Yes, I have. My father insisted that I be schooled at the Miyamoto compound, instead of putting up with the constant insults of ... I don't know the word. People beneath me in rank.” After blessing Professor Flitwick with a brilliant, sincere smile, Harry dropped that for something more important. “What would you like me to do?”

Flitwick just let Harry's remarks drop, but resolved to have a talk with Minerva later. “I thought I'd just name a spell and you could do it. If you don't recognize the name, I'll demonstrate it then you can try. How does that sound?”

“It sounds very good to me. Yes. First spell?”

Flitwick started with levitation and moved on from there. He finally reminded Harry to use his wand at third year spells. When they were done, Flitwick clapped his tiny hands in glee. “Well, Mr Potter, you did quite well. I'm very pleased to say that you will be classed a good, solid sixth year. Please go back to your seat and begin to read the chapter.”

Harry settled back in his seat and pulled out his book. He smiled over it at Neville, who was giving him a slightly worried look, then began to read.

When the clock tower chimed the end of class, Harry rose, stuffed his books into his bag and headed for the door. It would be easier to wait there than to try to catch Hermione and Neville in the room.

Hermione immediately began an in depth inquisition on everything Flitwick had him do and how he'd done it, ending, “Ok, so where did he place you? I hope you're in sixth year. It would be just awful if you had to go down a year. You didn't, did you?”

Harry assumed a slightly put upon expression and finally interrupted her. “Granger-chan, breathe. I did fine. I'm in sixth year. Flitwick-sensei said I was a good, solid sixth. Calm down.”

Hermione took a deep breath then said, “Well, that's ok then. Neville, are we going to be study buddies again this year?”

Neville gave a deep sigh. “Like I'd pass anything if we weren't. Yusuke-chan, you want to join us? Ok, Hermione?”

Harry laughed as they walked down the stairs to the next floor. “Neville, chan is only for girls. Kun is boys. Sama, san, sensei and a few others are for either male or female. Hermione-chan? It is alright for me to call you that?”

Hermione nodded easily. “Yes, that's fine. To both questions. I did offer to make up a study schedule for us all, didn't I?”

“You did, but I don't take anything for granted and twice offered is ... better.” Harry followed her, slightly to her left with Neville on her other side.

She spent the entire rest of the walk to Transfiguration talking about what they needed to know so that she could make up the most efficient study guides. Harry bore with it with a blank expression, forcing the urge to gag her down ruthlessly.   
.

They found seats together and settled in to wait for the professor to appear. Hermione pointed to a cat and said, “Oh, look there. Yusuke-kun, look.”

She was about to say more, but the stern voice of Professor McGonagall interrupted her. “Attention, class.” Harry had to smile, the cat in the corner had become the instructor. Impressive, an animagus. He turned his attention to the professor as she began a short lecture on what they were going to cover this year.

After her lecture she gave the next weeks assigned reading and practice. Then she announced that the rest of the two hour class period would be review. Starting with last years transfigurations.

Harry was pleased to see that there had only been six. Each transfiguration was an example of a theory of transfiguration; noble to inferior, inferior to noble, living to non-living, non-living to living, hot to cold and cold to hot.

Harry managed to change silver into glass then back again without strain. He didn't notice the expression on Professor McGonagall's face when he did it with a wave of his hand. He completely forgot about the wand residing in the sheath on his wrist.

“Well, that is noble to inferior and inferior to noble. Right?” Harry looked up at the professor.

She made a slight sound deep in her throat, but was interrupted by Neville. “Yusuke-kun, you're supposed to use your wand.”

Harry looked blank for a moment then produced his wand. “Oh? Fine, then. Again.”

Considering that he'd never actually used the wand for anything, Harry didn't feel that he did too badly, it only took him two tries to get the silver to glass to work. He managed the rest of the transfigurations easily, except for the living to non-living. He just couldn't see turning a hedge hog into a pincushion. He listened to the professor's instructions then said, flatly, “No.”

Professor McGonagall looked at him for a moment then said, “Mr. Potter, you need to turn this hedge hog into a pincushion. It's a simple transfiguration. First year's do it.”

“I don't doubt that for a moment. But, is it right? What if sticking it with pins hurts it. It can't protest if it's a cushion, now, can it?” Harry wondered if the woman was cruel or just stupid. “Don't you teach Logic and Reasoning or Ethics?”

“And what do such muggle things have to do with magic, Mr. Potter?” McGonagall seemed more curious than annoyed, but Harry was seriously annoyed by now.

“Oh, I don't know.” he didn't bother to smooth his snarky tone, “Ethics teaches us that doing things to living things that might cause them distress should be reserved for those that deserve it. And Logic and Reasoning teach us to think about things before we do them.” Harry eyed the woman for a moment then added, “McGonagall-sensei.”

A snide voice from the other side of the room announced, “I don't think you'll be around long, Potter. Calling the Professors names and all. Where were you raised, a barn?”

Harry looked over at the blond annoyance named Malfoy and said, “No. I was raised in one of the oldest families in Japan, in a house that has stood on the same site in one form or another for about 3000 years.” He eyed the boy for a moment then shrugged. “You, obviously, were raised without care or concern for your manners.” He bowed slightly and sat back down.

Professor McGonagall called the class to order, her sharp voice snapping out, “Alright! Everyone sit down! Now!” She waited for them to obey then continued, “Mr. Malfoy, I don't need, nor do I want, your aid in controlling my class. Mr. Potter, if you have religious objections to live transformations, please let me know. Everyone prepare for me to review you on last years work. Now!” The class turned to their books, the Slytherins snickering slightly.

Harry thought he had a handle on who was who in his current acquaintances. Hermione and Neville were on his side, Malfoy was not. As sensei went, Flitwick was an ally, McGonagall was barely acceptable. He wondered what the rest of his teachers would be like. Dumbledore was still in his black books and not likely to get out of them. Divination, really? As for the Ministry, he was really not impressed and not likely to be any time soon. He wondered how soon he was going to really lose his temper and kill some useless piece of kategi trash. He really hated dealing with civilians.

Harry settled back to listen to Professor McGonagall lead the class through their review. He was not impressed with that either. They needed a focus to do things he'd been doing without one since he was thirteen, or younger. He watched with a distant look in his eye and a blank face. He never noticed McGonagall watching him, not that he would have worried over much about it if he had. What could, or would, she do after all?

When class was dismissed, Hermione stayed after to speak to the professor for a moment.

“Professor McGonagall? ... um ... I think you should know that, in Japan, sensei is usually translated as Professor or teacher.” With that, she clutched her book bag and scurried out the door to try to catch up with Harry and Neville. She didn't notice Ron give her a sharp look.

.

Harry was making his way down the stairs to the inner entry hall when he heard a scream above him. He turned and saw a small, first year girl clinging to the edge of a staircase. The stairs had moved unexpectedly and then frozen when she slipped, to keep her from being crushed between the stairs and the landing. This did not help her much as no one near her could reach to pull her up.

It was no help that the ones who could were blocked by a mass of screaming, gawking idiots. Harry took stock of the situation and did the only thing he could, he tried to get a levitation spell on the girl but the milling bodies between him blocked that, he had to cancel the spell before he levitated the wrong person.

The only other way he could see to get to the girl before she lost her grip and fell five stories into the atrium was to climb to her. He shucked his robes and shoved them into Neville's hands. His basic cat scramble up the broad railing caused several people to scream. He made it to the next landing and had to use a tic-tac off the wall and over several heads to get across to the next flight of stairs. These left him with no choice but to return to the railing, konging off the shoulders of a boy who yelped but held strong instead of ducking. Two more jumps got him to the stairs which he leapt up three stairs at a time. He just managed to grab the girls hand as her exhausted fingers finally let go.

Panting from the mad scramble up the stairs, Harry clutched the trembling girl to his chest and plopped down on the stairs. “Shimata!” He turned to glower at the still screaming group of gawkers. “Urusai! Baka!”

No one paid his demand for quiet any attention, but a bellow from the atrium got everyone's attention and quieted the noise. “Everybody be quiet! Now!” Dumbledore sorted the mess out easily, sending students to their classes, or to the Great Hall to eat. Then he made his way up the stairs to where Harry was still seated, cuddling the sobbing girl. “Miss Granger, Mr Longbottom, perhaps you should be headed for your next class?”

Hermione plucked up her courage, constant contact with Dumbledore had finally quashed her hero worship although the same couldn't be said for other professors. “No, sir, we'll wait for Yusuke-kun. We're his friends and he'll need us.” She took Harry's robes from Neville and helped him get them on. She noticed that his hands didn't tremble and he wasn't visibly shaken.

Dumbledore just nodded and said, “Ah, I see. Well, let's get this sorted then, shall we?”

The girl was turned over to a hovering Madam Pomfrey who took her to the infirmary for a quick once over. Madam was sure the only things wrong with her were a strained arm and exhaustion, but she wanted her in the infirmary to make sure. She checked Harry with a quick flick of her wand, and found nothing but a skinned palm. “Albus, I trust you'll see to Mr. Potter.” and with that she stalked off with her charge in tow.

Harry straightened his robes and asked, very quietly, “And what, exactly, is the purpose of moving staircases that cause at least three disasters a week? Please explain this to me.” He didn't look particularly angry, but the tone of his voice warned Neville that something was going to explode soon. His Gran got that tone when she was about to 'rip someone a new one'.

Dumbledore twinkled at Harry. “They're tradition, my boy. They've been that way since I was a lad. Keeps the young one's on their toes. Now. I'll heal that hand and all of you can hurry off to lunch.” He flicked his wand, healed Harry's hand and wandered off, humming to himself.

Harry forcibly, obviously, calmed himself as he watched after Dumbledore for a moment then muttered in Japanese, “That fool. Someone is going to be killed, sooner or later. And he just wanders off without so much as a thank you.” Then he turned to Hermione and asked, “Do you have any idea how these damn stairs actually fucking work?” Hermione shook her head no.

Neville shrugged, admitted he didn't either then said, “But it's sure to be in Hogwarts; a History. Hermione has a copy. Let's forget about it for now. Come on, let's go eat, I'm starving. Fear does that to a fellow, you know.” 

Hermione huffed her irritation but Harry just patted her shoulder and tugged her along. “Me, too. I'd love a nice Sukiyaki.” He didn't expect to get food like he had at home on a regular basis, but he didn't know much about house elves.

When they seated themselves the food that appeared around them was a mix of English Boarding School fare and Japanese traditional foods. Hermione nearly drooled at the sight of ramen bowls while Neville appreciated the fresh salad. Harry happily took the lid off his sukiyaki and began to eat with relish.

Hermione ate then went on her usual mission of inquiry. The Ravenclaws always knew all the assignments by lunch time so she just asked the nearest one, James something-or-other, who happily told her all the assignments for the sixth year classes, even the one's she wasn't taking. She made notes, grumbling when her quill blotted her parchment. She still hated both quill and ink, never mind parchment but what could you do, rules were rules.

She noted that Yusuke left the Great Hall, he actually waved to her before he left. Neither she nor Yusuke noted that Neville paused at the door then followed him.

.

Harry went out into the sunshine of the inner courtyard and pulled out his cigarette case. He'd refrained from smoking in the Great Hall as he wasn't about to let the professors know that he smoked. He didn't need the aggravation of having them try to stop him. He smiled a bit, most yakuza wouldn't understand his reasoning, they'd smoke and the devil take the hindmost. He, on the other hand, didn't think it would be wise to rub their noses in his real world. Let them think of him as they pleased, for now. So, he found a comfortable bench in a nook behind a large bush and settled to smoke and think.

He was pleased with his schedule, it made it convenient to keep up his skills. He could do workouts in the morning then have his afternoon free for more workout, practice on his instruments and his calligraphy. After taking care of the essentials, he could study. He was sure that Hermione would want to include his daily schedule in her organizational efforts. He was amazed at how quickly he'd made friends with her. He'd expected to feel disconnected from all his classmates but both Neville and Hermione were turning out to be his 'specials' here at Hogwarts.

Neville found him there, eased behind the huge bush and said, “Can I join you?”

Harry offered him a smoke, but he just smiled and shook his head. “Well, sit down before you fall down. What can I do for you?”

Neville just settled on the end of the bench and replied, “You could have killed yourself.”

“No, I couldn't have. I know all the levitation charms. That's what you call them, right?” Harry blew smoke out his nostrils, making him look decidedly dragonish.

“Yes, that's right. Everything is a spell. Hexes are usually hostile unless they're included in wards, then they're ... well, still hostile just not to you. And jinxes are pranks. Only some are really dangerous. Then there's charms, which are always benign. And why am I telling you things you already know?”

“Because I don't know the names for them. With us, everything is just a spell, or a curse. You forgot curses.”

Neville batted at him idly. “No, I didn't. You already knew that.”

Harry, well aware that Neville didn't mean anything by his back handed swat, blew out more smoke. “I did. I'm going to workout as soon as I finish this.” He waved his cigarette then took another drag. “You want to come?”

Neville waved a hand in the cloud of smoke Harry had produced. “Ok. I don't workout. Gran is always telling me I'm so awkward that I'd hurt myself. I'd like to know how I'm supposed to develop any coordination if I don't work on it. It's not like it'll just appear out of nowhere. Magic can only take you so far, you know.”

Harry nodded. “I do know. I can start you out on some yoga and tai chi. Simple stuff, but it'll help, if you work at it.”

“I'm not afraid of hard work. It's not like running the Longbottom greenhouses is easy. I have to start late because of school but we still put out most of the high end potion supplies around.” Neville smiled proudly at that revelation.

Harry nodded. “Your reputation is good, even in Nihon. My family buys from you, through a supplier in Tokyo.” Harry noted Neville's smile of pride then changed the subject. “Now, what is it with McGonagall. She obviously doesn't like me, but I have no idea why.”

Neville shrugged. “Me neither. And you better watch out for Snape. He hates everyone, but probably will hate you particularly. He and your Dad had a prank war of epic proportions all seven years they were here. No one is exactly sure why.”

Harry thought about that for a moment then shrugged. “Ok. Come on, workout now.” He led the way to the dojo next to Gryffindor.

Neville started across the floor with his shoes on but Harry stopped him. “No, Neville-kun, you take off your shoes at the door. It's even more important than in a house. You're going to be rolling around on most of the floor and sitting on the rest. I've got slippers here, if you want but bare feet are more appropriate. All exercises are done barefoot.” He waited while Neville took off his shoes and socks then motioned at a stack of yoga mats. “Pick one, doesn't matter which one. I'll show you a short sequence, easy to remember, but very effective for a beginner.” He found Neville a pair of yoga pants on the shelf, along with a t-shirt. He gave these to him and pointed him behind the partitioned off section. “Change in there, I'll change out here.”

Neville changed quickly and returned to find Harry in an aikido uniform of white hakama-shita and dark blue hakama. Harry explained to Neville that he should put the mat on the bare floor of the section dedicated to floor work. He then began to teach Neville yoga.

Neville proved to have a good physical memory, he could remember the whole twenty asana series after two run throughs. Harry left him to his practice after telling him to go through his series twice more at his own pace then do corpse pose for ten minutes.

Harry turned to the matted dojo area and bowed to the small alter there. He pulled his katana out of mallet space and unsheathed it, putting the sheath on the tatami covered verge. After a short warm up of combined cuts he began his kata. He worked on some of his magically enhanced kata, things that only a person who'd watched movies by Jackie Chan and Steven Sagal would recognize. He happily admitted to stealing moves from Kill Bill as well. What movies accomplished by wire work, he accomplished by magic.

He was just completing a combined move of cut to head, reverse waist stab and roundhouse head kick when he realized that Neville was standing on the verge tatami and staring at him, open mouthed and wide eyed.

“Neville?” Harry walked over to him, smiling slightly at the expression on his face.

“Holy Merlin's lily white. That's ... amazing. Where did you learn that?” Neville just managed to swallow down a demand to be taught all that Harry knew.

“Nihon. Genji taught me the basics but, when Chichi-ue realized that I was good, he brought in Masters from all over to teach me. He taught me himself too. I'll start you on the path, but ... I'm exceptionally good for some reason. My reflexes and strength are well over that of men twice my age. No one has figured out why. The only thing anyone will really say is, it's genetic.” He shrugged and waited for Neville to say something.

“Oh, ok. I'll learn anything you're willing to teach me. After all, who in their right mind would pass up lessons from The-Boy-Who-Lived.”

Harry gave Neville such a blank look that he wondered for a moment what was wrong. Then Harry yelped, “Nani? Nani yo? Me! Nan da ... Matte.”

Neville waited for Harry to collect himself. It had never occurred to him that his friend would have no idea of his reputation in England. After several seconds he realized that this revelation had been a bit more of a shock than expected so he called an elf to bring some tea.

Harry put away his sword then led him to the area with cushions and tables and settled them both on what he called a zafu.

“Yusuke-kun, don't you know anything about yourself?” Neville frowned as he realized that that hadn't come out as he expected.

Harry shook his head. “All I really know is that the Ministry called me a national hero, but no one told me why. And they forced me to come here for 'training in my obligations'. It's all bullshit as far as I'm concerned. I'm well aware of my duty to my father and family. How I managed to acquire a fucking obligation to a country I left at the age of nine, I have no idea. No one tells me much of anything. Hermione told me all about the war of Voldemort and said that The-Boy-Who-Lived was supposed to fix it all. She neglected, amongst all the information she did tell me, to tell me that I'm ... My chichi-ue would be ... displeased. I am sure that I am. So, tell.”

So Neville spent the next two hours telling Yusuke everything he knew about what was going on with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, who's real name no one knew. And the political situation in Wizarding Britain. His viewpoint was completely different from Hermione's and more enlightening.

He was just finishing up when Hermione burst in, yelling. “Harry James Potter! There you are. I've been looking all over for you. What ..”

Shinigami came out in force. “Onna! Do not yell in the Dojo. Where are your manners? Come sit down. And speak to me with respect. Quietly.”

Hermione took one look at his frozen expression and made a noise usually written as “Meep?” She came to the seating area, shedding her shoes at the door without being told and settled siza. “I'm sorry. I didn't know you considered this a dojo. But I've been looking all over for you and I ... I was afraid. Who knows what some Slytherin might do while your back is turned.”

Neville nearly snorted tea up his nose at that. He coughed a bit then allowed, “Hermione, I don't really think that's going to be much of a problem. If someone is stupid enough to hex him ... well, I hope they have their cemetery plot picked out.”

Hermione gave Neville a sharp look then asked, “Really? And why is that?” She turned to Harry, “Yusuke-kun, do you practice martial arts?”

Harry smoothed his face into a blank relaxed expression and said, “I do. Aikido, Shinkendo, Iaido, Hapkido, taikwando and some others.” He waited while Hermione got her grin under control. “No, we don't call it Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū but that's really what it is. Or you could call it Ninjado.”

Hermione had to stop at that. “Ninjado? Really? Does that actually exist?”

Harry didn't see any sense in denying it. “Yes, it does. I am a Master of that style and Aikido, shinkendo and Iaido. I didn't bother testing in any other styles. It pleases Chichi-ue to watch me compete.” He didn't bother to tell her that he had been competing, at his own request, since he'd earned his first mastery at the age of 13. And he was surely not going to tell her that he had started competing in mixed martial arts cage fights in one of the clubs his father owned shortly after that. Especially since they included weapons.

While he had been distracted by his thoughts, Hermione had been setting out their project planners and schedules. “Ok. Here's a day planner for each of us. I've got project pages for each subject as well as due date cues. There's a monthly page with weekly addenda. Then there is one fold out with a timeline at the top where we can put due dates with notes for everything that's due for the whole term. Any questions?”

Neville looked lost and nodded. “I have no idea what you just said. What about the old way, the way we've used for the last five years?”

Hermione sighed. “Neville, how many times have we both lost something important because we kept all our schedules on individual bits of parchment?” Neville just shrugged. “Fine. What don't you understand?”

“Um ... most of it. Who's going to keep all this up? Not me, you know. I'll have mine completely fouled up in no time.”

Harry just examined the pages then nodded. Hermione had already established his timeline and schedule as far as she was aware of his classes. “This is very good. I'll add in the rest of my schedule so that you won't schedule a study session when I need to be doing something else. Are they self-updating across the board or do we have to update each one individually.”

“Individually. I don't know any charms that will work on more than one location. But, if you write something on a daily page it transfers to all the other pages. And turns red if you already have something on a different page.” Hermione managed to look just a bit smug.

Harry nodded. “I know a spell that will link all our schedules so that what we write in one will appear on all the others. If I charm the timeline pages and the project pages, that'll keep us up with each other while allowing us to keep private pages. Yes?”

Hermione nodded. “That's a great idea. Here.” She put all three books together. “Do you need them individually or on top of each other.”

“On top, onegai.” She piled the books and pushed them toward Harry. “Arigato.”

It only took him a moment to charm the planners. Then he wrote his exercise and practice schedule in his book. It transferred perfectly.

Hermione looked at his schedule and said, “My goodness, Yusuke-kun, you do keep yourself busy. Are you sure you're going to be able to keep up?”

Harry just smiled. “Come on, let's go back to the common room. I want a smoke. And, yes, I'm sure I can keep up. Chichi-ue has given me a pass on keeping up with all my studies because the mail is impossible. I'd have to send my work to Gringotts, they'd send it on to Japan, Tokyo U. would grade it, sent it back to Genji-san, who'd send it back to me along with my new assignments. There's a ten day turn around but I'm only allowed a week to do each assignment. Not good. I'd always be late. Not good. So I get a pass until I'm back in Nihon. Then I have to play catch-up.” He shrugged.

After putting on his boots, he led the way out and back toward Gryffindor. Hermione had a very thoughtful look on her face, Neville just followed along after his friends.

As they got seated in a grouping around a table, Hermione said, “I notice that you're using muggle biro's and paper. We're not allowed. We have to use parchment and quill. It's a royal pain. I have to get everything made special for the new schedule books. Although the covers are much nicer.”

Harry got a smug look and pointed to Hermione's book bag. “Hogwarts; a History, page 436. and I quote; 'All assignments must be turned in written on fine grade parchment, written with a properly trimmed and sharpened goose quill, with pure ink.' Not a word about notes, private work, outlines or preliminary copies.” He smirked as Hermione dove into her book bag and emerged with the book. It didn't take her long to find the passage in question.

“Oh, man. You're right. I'm so embarrassed. This is just great. Now ... I need to write to my Mum ...”

Harry lit a cigarette, dragging in a lungful of smoke he said on his exhale, “I have all that. And highlighters, flags and pointers. I had a gaki pick all that up and stock my trunk so I'm not sure what else is there but I'll give you some of whatever you want. And a fountain pen. I don't think anyone will be able to tell the difference between a chisel point nib and a goose quill.”

Hermione calmly took Harry's cigarette and walked off with it. She headed for the stairs to the boys dorm, calling over her shoulder, “Come on, then,” before Harry could do more than say, “Oi!”

He followed Hermione, laughing softly to himself. He was sure there would be an outcry at Hermione's invasion of male territory and he was right. But it was Seamus Finnigan who objected, not Ron Weasley as Harry had expected. His objections cut off abruptly when he saw that not only was Harry giving him a cold look, Neville looked annoyed as well. No one was really worried about him doing much, but he was old family and had proper manners. Seamus was well aware that offending him could bring about some very unpleasant things.

Neville was polite to a fault and shy as they came, but a word to his Gran was the kiss of death more likely than not. So, Seamus retreated to his bed and watched the proceedings with a bemused expression.

Harry opened the storage compartment of his trunk and waved a hand at it. “Help yourself. If there's not enough left, tell me and I'll send for more.”

Hermione dove in and spent several minutes opening different bins. “Ok. I'll take one spiral notebook for each class for notes and a couple of yellow tablets for essay prep. Biros and a mechanical pencil. And ... fountain pen and ink cartridges. A pad of sticky notes and a folder of sticky flags and some sticky points. Yusuke-kun, can you think of anything else?”

Harry had finished his cigarette while she was poking around but he lit another before replying, “No, not really. And feel free to ask me for more of anything you need. You are going to need more, if you're going to keep up with three people's schedules.” 

Hermione started to turn away but something caught her eye. “Oh, what's that?”

Harry glanced at the box she was pointing at then said, “A calligraphy set. Just a small one as I won't have time to do more than keep up my practice. There's only four brushes, an ink stone, stick, mat and some weights. The paper is in the next bin down. If you like, I'll show you next time I have it out.” Hermione started to protest but Harry reminded her, “You'll just have time to put that stuff away before dinner. And I'm starved.”

Neville chuckled softly, “You're always starved.”

Hermione just left in a flurry of hair and robes to put her booty away before time to eat.

 

.  
One thing. (yes, another Authors Note) There's not going to be a huge cast of characters. I have a hard time keeping track of them all. There's going to be Harry, Neville, Hermione, Ron, Draco; Some McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Lockhart. Dumbledore will show up now and again as will various other canon characters, but I'm not going to have them all be around a lot. Most of the adults will be in and out. And remember, Harry is NOT a nice boy. He smokes, kills people and swears.

Another thing: If you do not have Private Messaging enabled I cannot respond to reviews.

In the staircase scene, Dumbledore asks if Hermione and Neville shouldn't head for their next class. I'm well aware that they were headed for lunch. Dumbledore just assumes that they have a class because he isn't keeping track of who has what when. I've had teachers do that to me. Go to your next class when it was lunch or tell me to go to the wrong class.

Someone pointed out that I haven't been posting translations of the Japanese. If I miss something, it's easy enough to look it up. But here:

“Nani? Nani yo? Me! Nan da ... Matte – what? What the fuck? (different form of) what ...wait.

There are several names for father – chichi-ue, otousan, oyaji and no rhyme or reason for use that I can see.

Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū – anything goes school. From Ranma ½

Many people have asked for this.

 

OyabunOyabun (Godfather)Oyabun  
The Oyabun is the ultimate leader of the Yakuza, which means his decisions and orders are final and everyone beneath him in the organization must obey him. The oyabun only stays in contact with members working directly under him.

KumichoKumicho (Supreme Boss)Kumicho  
Directly under the Oyabun there are only two men, one of those is the Kumicho. This is also a great leader and he is in charge of all tactical and financial business of the Yakuza.

WakagashiraWakagashira (Underboss)Wakagashira  
The other leader working on Oyabun's side is the Wakagashira. He is in charge of other leaders as well as all the gang members within the Yakuza. The Wakagashira has much street knowledge and experience.

Saiko KomonSaiko Komon (Senior Adviser)Saiko Komon  
The Saiko komon is a personal advisor for the Kumicho and the Oyabun. He is also in charge of the tactical and defensive agencies.

So-HonbuchoSo-Honbucho (HeadQuarters Chief)So-Honbucho  
The So-Honbucho is an operational leader within the Yakuza. He is in charge of Yakuza's logistics agencies.

Fuku-HonbuchoFuku-Honbucho (Regional Boss)Fuku-Honbucho  
The Fuku-Honbucho is an operational leader within the Yakuza. He is effectively in charge of all the Yakuza gang members. They are at his service and are willing to sacrifice their lives to complete any task the Fuku-Honbucho might order.

ShateigashiraShateigashira (Captain)Shateigashira  
The Shateigashira is Yakuza's captain and he works for the Fuku-Honbucho as his assistant. The Shateigashira is the direct leader of all the gang members within the Yakuza.

Waka – foot soldiers

Gaki – new recruits


	7. Chapter 7

The evening went well. Dinner was eventless, except for another complaint from Ron Weasley about uncooked food. One of his twin brothers told him to stuff himself before they did it for him. This shut him up so the rest of the table could enjoy sampling the Japanese fare.

The return to the common room was accomplished in a clump that made Harry nervous. He wasn't fond of being surrounded by strangers. He did manage to have all of them enter first, he really hated having strangers at his back.

When they all got inside, Hermione grabbed a chair at a round table in a corner. She motioned for Harry to sit in the chair in the corner. He appreciated that as it protected his back. Neville took the chair on his other side without comment and they spread their work out.

Harry consulted his timeline and decided to read the chapter on potions that they would be covering the next day. Potions was not one of his strong points. He had no hand for it and so, he studied the theory and left the actual brewing to one of the three potions masters his Chichi-ue employed. He settled in to read, absently taking notes on a yellow tablet.

Hermione did the same while Neville struggled with ink, pot, parchment and book. He wrestled with them for a while then gave up with a small, frustrated cry. “Damn! I'm not even going to be able to read these notes tomorrow. And I hate potions. Snape hates me.”

Hermione didn't even look up when she barked, “Language, Neville and it's Professor Snape.”

Neville started to knuckle under, but Harry said, mildly, “What the fuck is your problem, Hermione-chan? If Neville-kun doesn't like him, what difference does it make what he calls the man. Is he really that bad?”

This led to Hermione ranting about respect for teachers and authority figures for just long enough for Harry to understand her attitude. Neville just kept his silence until Harry told her to stop ranting like a maniac and think. She snapped her mouth shut with a sour expression on her face.

“If the man is as bad as Neville-kun says, he doesn't deserve respect. Respect is earned by the wise, expected by the foolish. This Snape sounds like a bully and a fool. He has not earned respect. I wouldn't call him Snape to his face, but what we call him between ourselves is not his business. Tell me more about him.”

Neville took a turn ranting. He told about the insults, sarcasm and bias; point taking and outrageous punishments. “Breathing to loud! Really! That man hates kids. What he's doing teaching? I don't know. But Dumbledore stands up for him all the time. And sneaks points back for stupid stuff like having a nice book bag.” He subsided, muttering about greasy gits and demented headmasters.

Harry added this to all the things he needed to think about. He wasn't sure but that Dumbledore was senile. The man was over one hundred and fifty after all. His father would have retired him by now. And he was Supreme Mugwump of the International Conference of Wizards; although why they called it that, he wasn't sure. It only involved the European Wizarding Group after all. Added to that, he was also Head of the British Wizengamot. The man had a triple helping of work on his plate and didn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'delegate'. Harry shook his head to himself, if he had run his businesses the way Dumbledore ran the ICW, the Wizengamot, and Hogwarts he was pretty sure he'd be offering yubitsume before the month was out.

He silently returned his attention to his book. They studied quietly until a nervous first year approached them.

“Um ... excuse me, Mr. Potter. Could I have your autograph. Please. Colin took this picture and ... and ... well, I'd like you to autograph it for me. Please?” He extended the picture timidly.

Hermione sighed. She hoped that Harry was nice to the poor kid.

Harry took the picture and looked it over. It was taken in one of the hallways. He was caught in mid stride, just finishing his step, he turned his head and looked directly into the camera, raised an eyebrow and it started over. “Not bad. But you tell that Colin person that, if I catch them taking a picture without asking first, I'll be ... unhappy. And you won't like me much when I'm unhappy.” Harry produced a brush pen and signed in both kanji and romanji. He pointed to the kanji and said, “That is my Japanese name, which I prefer to go by. And that...” He chuckled. “is obvious. Now, go finish your homework.” He was sure that he was going to lose his temper sooner or later, but not just yet. One sign of how truly ruthless he could be was how strictly he controlled himself. He had to watch his attitude too. It wouldn't do to put useful people off by acting like a yakuza, although it annoyed him no end to have to watch his speech and mannerisms so closely.

The boy clutched his photo and scurried off. He showed it around to his friends before going to his dorm to put it away.

Hermione took one look at Harry's expressionless face and said, “That was very kind of you, Yusuke-kun.”

Harry just looked at her for a second before saying, “I know. Strange, isn't it?” He got up, graceful as a tiger, and headed for the stairs, remarking over his shoulder, “It's getting a bit busy in here for me. I'll be at my desk if you need me. Excuse me.” Hermione noticed that he moved as silently as one of the ghosts. Neville noticed Ron Weasley's assessing gaze.

It wasn't long before Ron got up too, and went after Harry.

Harry was already settled at his desk, happily reading charms. Ron cleared his throat and asked, “Why don't you like me?”

Not bothering to look up from his reading, Harry replied, “What's to like? Dumbledore told you to befriend the 'scared little boy'. I'm not scared, nor little, nor a boy. I'm a kumicho of the Yamaguchi-Miyamoto ninkyo-dantai. I resent the whole idea that I need befriending like a stray inu. Go away.” Harry put every bit of his yakuza attitude into this speech.

Ron ran a hand through his hair, this was not going well at all. “Damn it. Mum has a voice like a banshee. You would have to overhear that. I told her, and Dumbledore, that I'd be your friend, if you wanted. If you don't want to be my friend, I understand. But I have no intention of peaching on you. I'm no suck up. To you, or Dumbledore. So ... just wanted to clear the air. I'll leave now.”

Ron turned away to go back to the common room.

Harry turned, putting his book down. “Tell me something.” He forced his temper down. It wouldn't be convenient to have an enemy in his dorm room, right at his back. And his gut was telling him to have patience.

“If I can.”

“Why won't you call me Yusuke?” Harry really wanted to know why it was so important that he change the name he liked to one he barely remembered and which had bad connotations.

“Um ... well ... Your name is Harry Potter. The Potters are a pure-blood family that goes back more than 1700 years. Seems like you'd like to be associated with something like that. I guess.” Ron scrunched his nose up in thought. He wasn't comfortable with this young man, his eyes were way too old and his attitude screamed dangerous.

“I see. I have no pleasant memories of the time I was called Potter, and boy, and freak. I have very pleasant memories of the now, when I am called Yusuke, Oujisama, kumicho, and so on. Why should I wish to be called a pejorative?” Harry watched as Ron digested this.

“Oh, well. Ok. I guess. But a lot of people aren't going to understand. And ... I dunno, just doesn't seem right somehow.” Ron rubbed the back of his neck, turning red. “Not that you should change a name you like just for a bunch of strangers, but ...” Ron stopped talking before he wound up with his foot in his mouth.

“I see we think a bit alike. I am not going to make a thing of this. But people will be judged on their insistence that I bend to their will. And not favorably. Those who truly wish to be my friends will call me what I like to be called. Wakarimasu ka? Um ... do you understand?” Harry pinned Ron with a hard look.

“Yeah, I get it. Don't want it, but I get it. I better get back down before the twins come up to rescue me. They're convinced that you'll murder us all in our sleep.” Ron grinned as if he was sharing some great secret.

Harry just snorted, then said, “Not without warning you first. Now, I have charms to read. If you'll excuse me.” And he returned to his book, ignoring Ron's startled expression and leaving him to go back downstairs, and tell his brothers that he was going to murder their Mum when he got home.

.

The next morning was a repeat of the last. Harry got up, worked out, meditated and cleaned up. He got dressed much as he had the day before, but with a green t-shirt and wandered down to the common room to wait for Hermione and Neville to join him. He didn't like Hogwarts much, but he did have to admit that he thought he was going to enjoy having a friend his own age. Two would be even, better but he wasn't going to get too hopeful of Hermione just yet.

Neville, on the other hand, was turning out to be useful. His calm, phlegmatic viewpoint was not only amusing, but also helpful. His acidic comments on several of their classmates made Harry laugh quietly to himself. He was also quiet happy to warn Harry about those who would be less than friendly just because of House affiliations. Common sense, it seemed, was in short supply. It was extremely foolish to make enemies without reason, and which house you were in seemed a really stupid reason to pick enemies.

He looked up from his thoughts as Hermione came down the stairs, heavy bag over her shoulder. She couldn't seem to understand that she didn't need every book she owned with her all the time. Harry froze for a moment, unless there was some good reason.

“Hermione-chan, why do you carry all your books all the time?” At the look on Hermione's face, Harry was sure he wasn't going to like the answer.

“Um ... Yusuke-kun, don't make a big deal, please? It's because my roommates tend to 'borrow' my things and damage them. Mostly my books.” She looked at Harry's face and hurried to say, “I have protection charms on everything else. Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall helped me learn them, and I renew them weekly.”

She started to say something else, but Neville's voice from the stairs interrupted her. “I wish I knew something really nasty to put on it. I'd hex them so bad. No one in the boys dorms is so ... petty and malicious. They'd get a fist in their face for sure. I'm ... a social outcast. I know it and don't let it bother me much. But they don't ruin my homework, tear my clothing and steal my ... stuff. It's just not done. Girls are ... different. If they were guys, I'd be punching someone.”

Harry just snorted. “Next time you need your charms renewed, bring your trunk down and let me do it. And here ...” He reached into his mallet space and dragged out two black Japanese style book bags. “Use these, both of you. They have expansion charms, sorting charms and weigh less charms.”

Hermione frowned at the bag. “Weigh less? Oh, you mean feather light charms. I'm not sure I should ...” She thought for a moment then shrugged. She was allowed to be greedy once in a while, she decided, after all, she was keeping track of all his assignments and project timelines. “Well, thank you. Um ... Domo arigato gozaimas, Miyamoto-san. Is that right?” She bowed, a little too low, but it was a great attempt.

Harry bowed just right and replied. “Do ita shimashte, Granger-san. Very good.”

Neville didn't trust his Japanese, he'd noticed Yusuke's slight wince when he tried it, so he just said, “Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.”

Harry shrugged one shoulder. “You're welcome. Now. Let me show you how they work. The sorting charm is a bit particular. You have to know the title of the book you want or it'll push out all the books on a subject. Either way is good. And it'll hand up pens by color or type.” Hermione frowned but Harry told her. “And they're keyed for English or Japanese. I had them made in advance. You'll have to prick your finger and apply a drop of blood to the locks or it'll work for anyone. Once keyed to you specifically, they'll shock the hell out of anyone who doesn't have your express permission. And you can't give someone blanket permission, only works once, then you have to give permission again each time.” 

Hermione looked worried, blood was dark magic. “Um ... Yusuke-kun, I'm not sure about this. Blood magic is pretty dark stuff.”

Neville sighed. “Hermione, the only blood magic that's dark is the sort where you take the blood without permission, or kill the donor. This sort is ... warding magic. The Ministry uses it all the time themselves.”

Hermione gave Neville a suspicious look, but gave in under his long suffering expression.

“Well, what do we do? And why do you have these already.” 

Harry just shrugged, “Giri. You barbarians don't practice it, but I do.”

Neville sighed, he'd have to find a gift for Harry now, and what to get him was going to be a problem.

Hermione efficiently pricked her finger and put a drop of blood on each lock, then helped Neville do the same. Harry watched with interest as the locks glowed blue for a second then clicked. 

“Ok, that's done. Come on, I'm starved and, if we don't hurry, all the good stuff will be gone.” Neville swung his bag onto his shoulder and led the way down to breakfast.

After breakfast it was Potions Double. In other words, they were expected to brew a potion. Hermione was of the opinion that it was a test of how much they remembered from last year. Neville just said he was doomed no matter what.

Harry just shook his head. He'd gotten a good look at Potions Master Snape at breakfast. The man was unpleasant, at best. He had a sour expression, an appalling personal appearance and a stiff and commanding air. Harry decided that he'd wait and see what kind of teacher he really was. He was well aware that many students would call a stern teacher a bully out of ire and spite.

The fact that he favored his own house above all others, including taking points unreasonably, was a bit worrisome, but he was still going to reserve judgment until he had more facts. After all, some people considered him a cold-blooded killer. He thought of himself as a good manager and a proper son to his father. He looked after his family, businesses, and friends carefully.

The walk to the dungeon classroom didn't take very much time. The door was locked when Harry tried it and Hermione informed him, “Professor Snape lets us in when he gets here. I think he doesn't trust us to be in the room unsupervised. I don't understand why.”

Ron Weasley said succinctly from behind them, “Twins. Weasleys. Got a clue?” His sour expression made Neville snicker quietly.

Hermione sighed. “George and Fred. I swear, if they weren't so charming, I'd hex their bits off. Permanently. But ...”

Harry cleared his throat in warning. Snape was coming. He'd heard Ron walking, the sound of his steps echoing off the stone walls, but all he'd heard of Snape was the soft rustle of his robes.

The professor paused a moment, waiting until the students moved out of his way. Harry waited just a moment too long, forcing the man to stop until he cleared a path. The two of them gazed at each other for a second. Harry's clear eyed stare matched with the older man's obsidian glower. It would have been a stare down but Harry bowed slightly and stepped out of the way, murmuring, “Professor.”

Snape gave his new student a considering look as he flicked his wand to unlock the door. He didn't look that much like James, in fact he had Lily's eyes and her crooked lower lip. His long hair was nowhere as messy as James' disastrous bird's nest. But there was something very dangerous about the boy, his spy sense was screaming at him to be careful. The last time he'd ignored that sense he'd made a very foolish mistake. One he was still paying for.

“Enter.”

Harry followed the professor into the room and glanced around. What he saw was a rather dank and dark potions classroom. The jars on the walls didn't bother him at all, as he was used to seeing much more disturbing things. The smell bothered him a bit, as some of the ingredients seemed to have gone off.

All the benches and tables were a bit grungy, and the floor was badly stained from spilled potions. The neat desk at the front was backed by a flip blackboard, which was badly cleaned. All in all, he was not impressed.

Hermione and Neville eased him into a chair at their station while Ron and Seamus took the one behind them. All the other students got settled under the stern glower of the professor. Harry noted that the Gryffindor and Slytherin students didn't sit together; or even near each other.

Harry set out his pen and tablet, then fished in his bag again for his book. He muttered, “Potions Text, English, Sixth Year.” and the book popped to the top of the bag. He opened the book to the page on the chalkboard and settled himself to listen to the lecture.

But Professor Snape didn't lecture. Instead, after snarling, “Today, I'll be asking questions on the summer work. Not that I expect any of you dunderheads to actually have done it.” he began snapping questions at students he selected seemingly at random. He skipped Hermione despite her frantically waving hand.

Harry finally caught it gently in his own and pinned it to the table. “Please stop that. It's very distracting and he's obviously not going to call on you. Content yourself with the knowledge that he's quite sure you've done your work.”

Hermione mumbled, “He never calls on me.”

Ron grumbled quietly, “Good thing too. You natter on for ages over nothing.”

Professor Snape heard him and snarled, “Mr. Weasley, do you have something you'd like to share with the class, or are you just disrupting us for the fun of it?”

Ron flushed and shook his head. Neville nudged Harry in the ribs, hissing, “See?” Harry wasn't sure what he was supposed to 'see', but he filed everything he saw away for later meditation.

His attention was dragged into the present by a snide voice near his ear. “And what does our new celebrity know? Hummm? Shall we see?”

Harry didn't jump nor even flinch, instead he turned his eyes in the professors direction, slowly turning his head to glower back at the sour faced man. “Hai?” Harry was going to play the 'no speaky Englishru' card on this man.

“I take it that is a less than polite 'yes'.” And with that he began to pelt Harry with questions about potions, never giving him time to answer properly.

After six questions in quick succession Harry interrupted him, “Shitsureishimashita, Kyooju.”

Snape just snarled, “None of that. If you don't understand the question, the proper response is, 'I don't understand the question.' not that foreign babble. And I suppose that you consider yourself above brewing?” He sneered, ready for some smart answer.

He was to be a bit surprised by the answer. “No, not above. Why would I waste perfectly good ingredients brewing my own potions when it's a much better idea for me to have someone who is really good at it do it for me? I've no hand for it and would never dream of ruining a potion and possibly poisoning myself or blowing up something. Explosions are all well and good but not in a volatile environment like a potions lab.” Harry gave up on the 'no English', he wasn't going to be able to sneak that by this one.

Snape raised one eyebrow then said, in that silky tone that boded no one good, “Well, you'll brew here, or you'll fail. Do you understand?”

Harry replied in a voice that returned the threat, “Oh, yes, I do.” He countered Snape's raised eyebrow with one of his own.

Snape purred, “And what would you say if I told you that particular bit of insolence would cost your house twenty points?”

“Nani?... Ah, points. Why should I care about that? I don't want to be here, I'm sure Dumbledore told you that. So ...” He offered an insolent shrug. “I wouldn't be that upset. Perhaps you would care to expel me?” He managed a wide-eyed, hopeful look.

Snape growled something that sounded like 'Detention' wrapped his robes around himself then barked, “Begin brewing.”

As there was an odd number of students, Snape decided than Harry should be seated with Hermione and Neville. Ron had moaned at that and declared that they were all doomed. Hermione had simply told Neville to not touch anything then given him a notebook and told him to write down everything she said to. Harry had taken the pen, uncapped it and shown Neville how to write with it.

Evidently, word had spread amongst the staff about the new note taking paraphernalia as Snape didn't say anything about it. Snape, for his part, didn't care one way or the other, what essays were written with or on, they were still sure to be horrendous.

The class passed quickly as everyone bent their heads to their brew. Harry prepared ingredients to Hermione's specifications. She dropped, dipped and stirred. Neville scratched away industriously and the hour was done.

Professor Snape collected the bottled samples from each group then banished most of the potions. Some he cast a stasis on, saying that they might be usable in the infirmary. As they all scrambled for the door he said, “Potter, stay behind.”

Harry just stayed in his seat, an expression of polite inquiry on his face.

Snape glowered at him for a moment then forced down his obvious ire and walked over to sit on the edge of the table he was facing. Hip shot with one foot dangling he waited for Harry to break and say something.

Harry, for his part was already used to being interrogated by police officers, which he called okami or satsu, who didn't care much about his tender years. He just waited Snape out, mildly examining his fingernails.

“Damn it, boy, you will ...”

Harry cut him off. “Do. Not. Call. Me. Boy. My name is either Harry Potter or Miyamoto Yusuke.” the searing look he shot at the professor made the man hiss.

“Insolent. Arrogant. Self-centered.” Snape ran out of steam as he saw that Harry wasn't particularly bothered by this diatribe.

“Yes? And? Please continue. Although I'm sure I've been called much worse by others. It is interesting to me to see that you seem to know me. Even though we've never met. To my knowledge, that is. Perhaps I've simply forgotten?” He paused to think a moment. “No. I'm sure I would have remembered someone as ... tall as you. Not to mention the ... garments. And hair. Very ... limp.” He stood up abruptly. “I'm bored now. Sayonara, Snape-san.”

Harry walked to the door and, without turning his head said, “I really wouldn't do that. Teacher hexing a student? Not so good. Yes? Dumbledore-dono probably wouldn't like it.” He shut the door after him, very quietly.

Snape blinked at the door for a moment, recovering his senses. His shock at Harry's behavior had held him paralyzed for several moments before he nearly gave in to the impulse to hex him.

Harry's Japanese had an odd accent that he couldn't place – yet. He was also nothing like his expectations. He was proud, arrogant and insolent. But he didn't seem to be possessed of that sense of entitlement that had led his father into bullying and pranking. Snape didn't think he had to worry about Harry being a prankster, he was much too cold and calculating for that. He was going to keep an eye on this one for sure, just not for the reasons he'd intended at first.

.

Hermione and Neville both pounced on him the second he shut the door.

“Are you ok?”

Hermione's demand was nearly drowned out by Neville who asked, “What did you say to him? He looked like he'd swallowed a spider.”

Ron, who was hovering uncomfortably in the background, gulped loudly.

Harry shrugged negligently, stuck a cigarette in his mouth, lit it and exhaled before saying, “We had a meeting of the minds. I hope. He won't attack me and I won't kill him. He didn't like my accent either. Hope it gives him nightmares.”

He sauntered off, smoking. Lunch would be starting in about fifteen minutes, and he was hungry. He wondered what delights would be offered today.

He politely ignored Hermione as she rather shrilly demanded to know things that were not her business. Neville finally told her that she was getting excessively loud and much too demanding. Then he looked surprised at himself. He'd never done such a thing before.

Ron just sighed. This was not turning out anything like he'd expected. Of course, he should know better than to listen to his Mum even long enough for her to suggest befriending Harry. She was a wonderful lady and a good mother, she just got an idea in her head and no one could shift it out.

Harry smiled to himself. Neville was rapidly developing a backbone and Hermione was going to learn that the only reason he'd let her get away with her bossy ways was, he was too polite to protest. He was still withholding decision on Ron until further information was available. He did seem like he was embarrassed by his mothers scheming. He really wanted to meet that woman.

After another delicious lunch, they went to the library to study and work on their essays, except for Ron who announced that he wasn't going to spend the last of the good weather in a library. He chose to go flying instead.

As they spread their things out, Harry asked, “Does no one run any sort of juku here? This is stupid. How the hell are we supposed to really study if we spend half our study time moving our things from one place to another.” He sorted through various bits of paper, trying to find the one he wanted.

Hermione nodded, “You're right. Madam Pince will toss us out on our ears at exactly five and we can't come back until seven then we have to go again at nine. We have so many afternoons off because we're sixth year and expected to do more self-study than the younger years so that makes it even worse. All the moving around interrupts my train of thought and my notes...” She stopped speaking and shook her head, obviously distressed.

Harry wasn't that happy either. He was used to having an actual office, both at the headquarters in Sapporo and in the compound. He'd had to quit studying in his rooms when his homework got complicated enough that putting it away all the time got him confused. His Chichi-ue had been very proud of him when, at the age of twelve, he'd worked up the nerve to ask for a permanent study place. He already missed his office.

Neville scowled at his notes, something was knocking at his brain, as his Gran said, but he couldn't bring it to the front. He shuffled his notes for a moment, grumbling, “Exactly. And with all the empty class rooms and such ...” He grabbed the thought before it could run for cover. “Listen. Why don't we just claim an empty classroom for ourselves and sort of ... I’m not sure. Fix it up to suit ourselves and ... lock it somehow? Just so no one steals our work. See?”

Harry nodded and started putting his things away again. “I do. There's several right there in Gryffindor tower. Not the dojo. It's not appropriate for what we want but there's at least three huge rooms in that same hall. They're all filthy, I peeked in to see what they were. And they're stuffed with broken things. But ... we can pick one and move the stuff from it to the other two, banish it or fix it up to use. What do you think?” He looked at Hermione who already had her nose buried in Hogwarts: a History to see if there were any rules against it.

She shuffled pages and mumbled for a few moments then looked up, bright-eyed and flushed. “There's no rules against it. All the rules say is that it has to be an unused area that doesn't interfere with the proper running of classes or school affairs. We can do this. Yes!” She actually got loud enough that Madam Pince looked up sharply.

It didn't take them long to gather up their things and get to the rooms. They were all located in the same short hall that contained the dojo. The one across from the dojo was the smallest but they didn't think it would be big enough. The next room was large and fairly clean. They consulted then went to look at the room on the same side as the dojo. It was the same size as the first room.

They decided on the second room, across the hall and down a door from the dojo. Harry remembered the rooms had all been locked and the elf had said they weren't of concern to him then he dismissed worrying about it as not important and went on with his business.

The first thing they did was push everything to one side of the room. Never mind that it did some damage, they'd repair what they needed and either banish or move the rest. But the moment they were done pushing things around several house elves arrived with soft pops.

“What is you being doing, young sir?” The elf was a bit taller than the others and obviously in charge of their little group.

“We're making ourselves a juku.” Harry stopped what he was doing to look down at the being.

“A ... Blitx is not knowing what a juku is being.” Blitx looked at Hermione, obviously waiting for information.

“We can't ask them to help. We're not allowed to use elves to do our work for us. That is against rules.” Hermione looked frustrated. She obviously wanted their help, and was regretting the missed study time.

Harry shrugged. “We're not asking. They're offering. And besides, what would Ojiisan Agohigi do?”

Hermione bit her lip for a second then proclaimed in a tragic voice. “You could be expelled!”

“Oh, please.” Harry snorted smoke out his nose. “I wish. That old man is way too wise in the ways of the world to expel me when the ministry dogs want me here. So, “He shrugged one shoulder. “He'll have to put up with me.”

So, with the help of the elves, they cleaned the room until it sparkled. Then they sorted through all the furniture that had been moved around as they cleaned. They had banished things that were beyond even magical repair and sent away things they knew they didn't want now all they had to do was arrange the furniture they'd kept.

This included two big tables with chairs, a writing desk each and a couple of squashy chairs with foot stools for reading. Since two walls were chalk boards it still looked like exactly what it was, a class room. The addition of book cases made it even more studious looking.

Hermione had insisted that they set up four desks instead of three. One for each for her, Harry, Neville and Ron. Harry was of the opinion that Ron's would gather dust but he didn't argue. Someone else might like the desk.

Hermione nodded her satisfaction with their arrangements and promptly claimed the desk nearest the bookcases. Harry took one near the windows and Neville took the other. This left the one nearest the door for Ron. Harry wondered if it was prophetic.

He settled down to do his work, sighing in relief. He hated trying to be civil to some of these people. They were sheep, fools that bleated the ministry tripe without thought. It was all he could do not to curse them. His patience was being sorely tried in his attempt to build a kazoku from such poor materials. And he felt naked, mean and temperamental without one.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in productive study. Hermione updated their project planners then returned to her private work.

Harry took Neville to the dojo to show him how the exercise machines worked.

As he worked, Harry counted reps. This left Neville free to do the workout and think. He really wanted to be friends with Harry, or Yusuke, so there were a few things he felt he needed to get off his chest. If Harry found out the wrong way, things were going to be bad.

Finally he said, “Yusuke-kun, I think I need to be straight with you.”

Harry nodded and said, “Eleven, Twelve, that's done. And being straight with me is a really good idea. Lying to me will get you ... ignored at best, hurt, or killed at worse. So, talk to me.”

Neville didn't dismiss this comment as most boys would, he filed it away for later. “Well, first, since I'm hoping you'll come visit me, be careful of my uncle, he's nuts. Dropped me out a window to make my magic come out, even though the healers told both him and Gran that I'm a slow bloomer but I'll be powerful when it happens. Gran does her best, I guess, but she's got a lot on her plate and she's old. I'm already taking care of the greenhouses, despite Uncle Algie's interference. He's tried to scare off any friends I might make. Hermione told him to 'take a hike' and Ron told the twins. Mrs Weasley sent him a howler, the twins sent him candy. And that reminds me, never take candy from either one of the Weasley Twins.” 

Harry thought about this for a second then asked, “Ok, what's in the candy? And why doesn't your uncle want you to have friends?”

Neville chuckled a bit then explained, “The twins are pranksters; so who knows, you might sprout feathers, horns, or scales. Or turn colors, or ... just don't, ok? And Uncle Algie doesn't want me to have friends because they might ask uncomfortable questions about what he's doing with the Longbottom fortune. I've managed to stave off a lot of his depredations but Gran trusts him too much. He thinks I'm an idiot, but I'm not. But there's not much I can do about him until my 17th birthday, when I'll become Lord Longbottom. I really wouldn't put it past him to try to kill me before then. So, I keep my head down and watch out for ... stuff. And I'm warning you because I wouldn't put it past him to do something to you as a warning to me.” Neville sighed and started another series of reps.

Harry counted by holding up a finger for each rep. “I see. Tell me about Dumbledore. And McGonagall.”

Neville thought about Dumbledore for a few reps then said, “He's a good man. But he'll do bad to you in an instant if he thinks it's for his greater good. He has the best interests of the wizarding world as a whole at heart but he'll sacrifice a single person without a thought. He's a great general but a poor friend. And he's really, really busy. He ...”

Harry interrupted this with a snort. “Yes, Hogwarts, Wizengamot, ICW. And I've heard something about some sort of order of something. I've got a handle on him, I think. McGonagall, now.”

Neville sat up and took the glass of water Harry offered him. “Thanks. McGonagall ... She's actually headmistress, never mind the deputy, Dumbledore delegates almost everything to her. She's as busy as he is in her own way. Headmistress, Professor and Head of House. That's a lot of titles and a lot of work. She's got some bee in her bonnet over you and I can't figure it out. I've never see her be that rude to a student before. She's a good person, smart, kind, stands up for her own. But ... I really don't get it. Be careful of her until we get it figured out.”

Harry nodded. “Ok, she doesn't like me. That's obvious. And she, just like Dumbledore, has too many jobs. Shimatta! Don't you people believe in delegation?” Harry rubbed his face. “So who can I depend on, beside you and Hermione. And can I really rely on her?”

Harry was depending on his gut instincts, as he usually did, to figure out who he could trust and who he couldn't. They hadn't failed him yet. He waited for Neville to answer.

Neville shrugged. “You can trust Ron. If his Mum doesn't get involved. You can trust Hermione unless she decides that something is for your own good. Then she's amazingly like Dumbledore and will turn on you in an instant. All because it's best for you. Or what she's convinced is best for you.”

Harry thought about that one for a moment. “But you still hang around with her.”

“Sure. You just have to watch her when she gets that ... look. Then she'll start nagging, demanding answers to questions that are none of her business and telling you what you ought to do. Then, she's off to McGonagall, Pomfrey or even Dumbledore. Unless you can head her off somehow.” He sat up from the latest exercise, took more water and asked in a plaintive tone, “Am I done yet?”

Harry laughed softly, he really did like this soft spoken, unassuming young man. “Yes. But, I'll tell you something. I think your magic will not come out until you get physically stronger. Now, it's my turn.” Harry changed the settings on the machine from the lightest to the heaviest then augmented that with a wave of his hand. “Count for me.”

Neville just counted.

After a workout that made Neville groan, Harry went to the bare floor and started his Shinkendo workout. Neville just stared, again, Harry was like something out of a nightmare. He moved like a great cat, creating a ring of shining steel around himself. He bounced off the walls or ran up them. He used his magic to levitate himself then drop from above, swinging his sword while still in the air.

When he finished his shinkendo kata Harry went on to kata in iaido, taekwondo and hapkido. Then he shifted to tai chi to cool down. He alternated workouts so that he did sword work one day and bare hand the next. Today was swords. As he worked his way through the last of the tai chi he turned his mind to meditation, today he needed to work on his mind wards. He completely forgot about Neville.

Neville, for his part, left about midway of Harry's workout. He went in search of Ron and found him in the common room, reading History of Magic.

He flopped down on the couch, dumping Ron's feet on the floor. “Ron, we need to have a talk about Yusuke-kun.”

Ron rearranged himself grumbling a bit. “Ok, ok. What's got your knickers in a twist?”

“Yusuke-kun. I know, why not call him Harry. That's because I want to be his friend and he doesn't like the name Harry. It brings up bad memories. Maybe he'll think of himself as Harry someday, but not now.” He fiddled with a lace on his sleeve. “So, what was Dumbledore thinking? What does he hope to accomplish by getting you in good with Harry Potter?”

“No bloody idea. Mum either didn't know or wouldn't explain. And no one told me anything except it was for the best. I refused but, you know how they can be, no one listened. And then Mum screeched out, right there in the station that I should be sure to befriend that poor, little Harry. Merlin, I nearly fell over in shame. Bugger.” He rubbed his face. “I wish they'd quit pushing me in every direction. I'm so tired of being in the shadows of everyone else. I wish I had something that was mine. You know?”

Neville nodded. “I do. Think about it? Ok?” He got up and went up the stairs to the dorm to settle on his bed with a book.

.

Harry finished his workout and cleaned up. He checked on Hermione, who was still in their juku, reading. He knew that Neville would probably go back to the common room so he didn't worry about him.

“Hermione? I need some help.” He was beginning plans to help Neville, whether he knew he needed help or not. “Neville was telling me about Longbottom Hall. He seemed very proud of it. What do you know?”

Hermione smiled over her book then put it down on her desk. “It's lovely. I've been there several times. Here ... there's a book of all the family seats ...” She rummaged in her bag for a moment. “Yes, here it is. It's even got pictures of Potter Hall and Potter Place in it. The Black family seat was destroyed by ... Cromwell, I think.”

“You know about ... all that?” Harry raised an eyebrow, clamping down on a sudden urge to kill her as a threat.

“Of course I do. I did my research before I even came to Hogwarts. I was very disappointed to find out that you weren't coming. Your family connections are fascinating. Here.” She plucked another book out of her bag. “This is just the public knowledge, I'm sure you can find better in your family libraries. Of course, you'll have to get permission from the Ministry to access most of it as I'm sure it's in the family libraries. Shame too.”

Harry glanced at the family seat book and noticed a list with just the names of the seats and a string of numbers. “What are all the numbers?”

Hermione glanced at the page. “Those are apperation coordinates. Some aren't listed as the seats are warded and shielded, or ...” she waved a hand. “something. There's fidelis and unplottable and other things.” She trailed off, watching Harry as he flipped through the book. “Is that all? I've gotten a good start on this and I'd really like to get back to it... Oh, and you have to have a license to apparate.” and with that, she went back to her book.

Harry just wandered to his own desk and started reading. He had an idea and was going to have to work on it a bit to see if it would work. After a couple of hours work he was sure he could do what he had in mind, he just wasn't sure if he should. He'd have to have another talk with Neville.

.

He managed it at supper.

“Neville. When you become lord, what is the first thing you're going to do?” Harry just glanced at Neville but the hardening of the boy's face told him a lot.

“I'm going to disown my uncle. But you didn't hear me say that.” Neville poked at his beef.

“Why?” Harry noticed Ron distracting Hermione and nodded at him.

“Because, he's a wanker. He's running the family into the ground with his spending and Gran refuses to see it. And Algernon isn't even a Longbottom, he's Gran's brother. He's a Flemming.” Neville gave his beef another savage poke.

Hermione wasn't as distracted as Ron had hoped and butted in. “I told you, Neville, he can't be too bad or someone would have removed him by now. I told Dumbledore all about your concerns, he said he'd have a word ...”

Neville interrupted with some heat. “And I asked you not to. But, oh, no, you had to go tell on me. Uncle Algie was Dumbledore's first stop and got his feathers soothed way too easily. Algie then hexed me behind my back and threatened Gran. Nothing specific I could point to but we both knew exactly what he intended. And, since he lives at the hall, there's no way for me to ... Never mind. Just ... next time you decide to do something for my own good ... don't.”

Hermione looked genuinely distressed. “I'm really sorry, Neville. I just ... well, we're friends and I just wanted to help you. How was I supposed to know that Dumbledore would go straight to Mr. Flemming and tell all. He's supposed to be the leader of the light side. That's when I started ... well, thinking about him and stuff. I'm not sure I trust him that much anymore. I just ... teachers and people like that are supposed to help, not make things worse. And you never said, until just now, exactly why you got so mad. I'm really sorry. Did he really hex you? What did your Gran say? Why didn't you say something?”

Neville looked like he was about to say something he'd regret so Harry glared Hermione into silence then explained, “He didn't say anything because it wouldn't do any good and would just have sent you on another mission of mercy. Heaven protect me from that. And his Gran probably just told him he had to be mistaken, or that her 'dear brother' didn't mean to actually hurt him with his prank. Right, Neville?”

Neville's mumble was probably agreement so Harry didn't pursue the subject. Instead he turned to Ron with a nod and a question about Quidditch, which he was actually interested in.

Ron spent the rest of the meal explaining rules and regulations, and speculating on the legality of an oar as a mount.

Hermione left early, with a thoughtful look on her face, which left the boys to their own devices.

Harry questioned Neville about his uncle. Ron interjected a few thoughts on the man and Neville finally admitted that he really wouldn't be hurt if the man dropped dead on the streets. Ron laughed a bit and said, “Or had a stroke in his sleep. The way he lives, it's a wonder he hasn't already had one. He's too fat. He can't walk up a flight of stairs without panting like a bellows.”

Neville shrugged, “A fellow can only hope. Right?”

.

Harry had to admit to lying to Snape, just a bit. He didn't brew healing potions or much of anything other than poisons. Like all ninja, he brewed his own. This being said, he had a stock of poisons in mallet space. After a bit of thought he picked one.

He changed from his pajamas into dark pants, long sleeved shirt and boots. He didn't put on his shinobi shozoku as it would make him stick out in this world. He also checked to make sure his mallet space contained the equipment he'd need. He took a minute to clear out a few things he was sure he wasn't going to need in England.

Then he slipped down the stairs into the common room and folded to Longbottom Hall, he neither knew nor cared that he wasn't supposed to be able to do that.

It was one of the things about magic that he really didn't like. He hated apparation as it made him queazy, flooing was an exercise in humiliation, and port keys were worse than apparation. He'd read something about 'folding' space and time in a physics book and decided that the math was doable. So he'd figured out how to do it and found that he just walked from one point to another without any of the ill effects of any other form of magical transportation.

He found himself in the formal parlor at the front of the house. This was just about what he'd expected, so he wasn't upset. All he had to do to complete his self assigned mission was find Algernon Flemming.

This turned out not to be as hard as he had feared. The man snored like a sumo.

Harry ghosted up the stairs and into the bedroom from which the mating call of the rhino was coming. He chuckled silently to himself. These sorts of thoughts always occurred to him at the worst times.

He opened the door and slipped inside. Looking around for the bed he noticed that this was the master suite. No one should be in it except the lord of the manor. “Presumptuous of the aho. Sooo, ...” Harry crooned softly.

He pulled a small bottle out of his pocket and wound a thread around the neck. He carefully maneuvered the thread until it touched Flemmings lower lip, then he tipped the bottle until a tiny string of droplets, like beads on a string, flowed down the thread and onto the lip.

After a moment, Flemming flicked out his tongue to lick them away. A few more moments and the man had consumed a deadly dose of the undetectable poison.

Harry left the room, clutching the bottle in his hand. He folded back to the common room, broke the thread away from the bottle and dropped it into the fire. He wiped the neck of the bottle carefully with a bit of rice paper tissue and banished that into the fire. The bottle was then tucked back into mallet space and Harry slipped up to bed to spend the next three hours reading the two books Hermione had given him. 

.

The group, comprised of Ron, Neville, Harry and Dean, woke up to the sound of a loud thump and swearing in Irish. Seamus had forgotten that Harry's trunk was warded to a fare-thee-well and tried to 'borrow' a yellow tablet.

He scrambled up from the floor, exclaiming, “Sorry! Sorry! I need a tablet. I'll pay you back when me Mam sends me some stuff from Dublin. Ok?”

Harry snorted, fished out the requested tablet and tossed it at Seamus. “Stay out of my stuff. I don't mind sharing, but you have to ask. There's stuff in there that's dangerous. I'm going to take a shower.” He gathered up his things and went to shower. The other's gave him twenty minutes before they banged on the door and demanded their turns.

Harry opened the door at once, still buttoning his shirt. “I want a real bath tonight, how do I manage that?”

Ron, who had realized that Harry had no intention of obeying any rule he considered stupid said, “Ask an elf. There's all sorts of bathrooms in the castle. You want something specific, you'll have to describe it to them. Come on, Hermione will be having fits.”

Harry nodded, finished buttoning his shirt and shrugged into his robes. He hated the stupid things, they wrapped around his legs in strange ways. Today, it was robes, baggy cargo pants, and a button up shirt. His boots remained the same. He cast the illusion spells that hid the bulges caused by his weapons and went down to find Hermione.

She was seated on a couch mumbling over a book, frantically taking notes. Harry took the book, closed it and piled her notes on top. He stuffed the whole thing into her book bag and said, “Come on, breakfast. And make sure you eat something beside toast and tea. You're too thin.”

Hermione snorted, tossed her head and declaimed in a snooty tone. “My dear, there's no such thing as too thin or too rich.” then she giggled, took her bag and led the way to the portrait hole.

They ambled down to breakfast, chatting about nothing of any importance. Neville shuddered, but, when Ron asked, he just said, “A goose walked over my grave. It's nothing.”

They weren't even settled when Professor McGonagall came up to them and said, “Mr. Longbottom, please come with me. You are not, I assure you, in any trouble.”

Harry stood with Neville, but the Professor told him, “Mr Potter, this does not concern you, sit back down.”

Harry just said in a saccharine voice, “If he's not in any trouble then you won't mind if I come along ... for moral support. Yes?” he cocked his head to one side and smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes.

McGonagall considered him for a moment then asked, “Mr Longbottom?”

Neville just gave a jerky nod, then stepped out to follow the professor as she led them to her office. Harry just ambled along, smoking.

“Mr Potter, must you indulge in that disgusting habit?” As there was actually no rule on the books about smoking, all Professor McGonagall could do was ask him to put it out.

“I must.” Harry took another puff and sighed it out. He wasn't going to knuckle under to any one, no matter how difficult they made things. He was Miyamoto and knelt to no one.

Professor McGonagall gave a ladylike snort and announced, “See that you're done before we get to my office. I may not be able to keep you from smoking in the halls and your common room and dorm but you will not smoke in my office. And dispose of the remains properly”

Harry said, “As you wish.” then made a face at her back, which made Neville snicker.

Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk, picked up a letter then said, “Mr Longbottom, I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you.” She gave Harry a pointed look. “That is why I requested privacy.” Harry just looked at her. “I have the sad duty to inform you that your uncle died in the night last night. Your Gran discovered him early this morning. She wrote to ask that you be sent home. Please go pack for a stay of a week. You have my sincere condolences.”

Neville just looked at her for a moment then said, “Yes, ma'am. Excuse me.” He stood up then smiled faintly at Harry. “Thanks for coming with me, Yusuke-kun. I really appreciate it. Will you help me pack?”

Harry just noted the flash of irritation that went over McGonagall's face then stood and nodded. “Sure, Neville-kun, I'd be glad to.”

As soon as the door closed behind them, Harry turned to Neville and asked, “Are you ok? What can I do?”

Neville smiled and replied, “I'm fine, more than actually. I'm kinda sorry he's dead, he was Gran's brother. But more, I'm just relieved. I don't have to worry about my Gran anymore. And I don't have to worry about finances, or getting hexed. It's nice.” he shuddered slightly then tugged at Harry's arm.”Now ... come help me pack”

“Ok. You want me to tell the others?” Harry was perfectly willing to do whatever he could for one of 'his'.

“No need. Dumbledore did it while McGonagall was telling me. But thanks.”

They ran a gauntlet of students, well-wishers who wanted to express their condolences. Harry glowered at them all, and finally started blocking the more annoying with his body. It took them twice as long as it should have to get to Gryffindor. The only person in the common room was Hermione.

“Neville, please accept my condolences.” She smiled gently. “Ron's up in the dorm, packing for you.”

Neville nodded to her and said, “Thank you for your kind wishes. I just hope Ron doesn't pack a bunch of stuff. I won't stay long. I just wish ...”

Harry asked, “What do you wish?”

Neville looked straight into Harry's eyes. “I wish I felt bad. I should, but I don't.” He shrugged. I just hope ... never mind.” He grinned at Harry. “Excuse us, Hermione. Come on.”

Harry followed him up the stair into the dorm.

They found Ron checking the clothing he'd laid out on Neville's bed. He hadn't put out much, just some underwear, a pair of jeans and a pair of boots. He looked up as their heads emerged from the staircase. “Hi. Sorry for your loss, Nev. Come see. I think I've packed what you need. All your formal and semi-formal robes are home, right?”

Neville just said, “Thanks. Yeah, all my robes are home. I'm going to have to go be fitted for Lords robes. Pain in the ass, but I'm going to be invested as soon as I can.” He took a small bag, like an old-fashioned doctor's little black bag, and started putting his clothing into it. Ron helped by handing him stuff.

Harry just watched. When Neville finished packing, Harry said, “If there's anything else I can do?”

Neville's eyes twinkled as he said, “No, thank you, Yusuke-san, you've helped quite enough.” Harry watched as Neville's head disappeared down the staircase.

Ron watched too. “He never liked nor trusted his uncle, so don't take it wrong that he's not ... more upset. Ok?”

Harry lit a cigarette, then said, around a cloud of smoke, “Never. I just hope he takes over, instead of letting his Gran do it. The woman trusts too easily, or she's stupid. Maybe both.”

Ron shook his head. “That old dragon? No, she just put way too much trust in family.”

Harry grumbled, “Well, too bad he can't demand yubitsume. I would have.”

Ron gave Harry a blank look. “What's yubits ... what you said?”

“If someone offends a kumicho or oyabun or fails an important task, they cut off a finger and offer it to their boss in apology.”

Ron turned a bit green. “You're joking.”

Harry blew smoke out his nose. “I assure you that I am not. And be very careful, that was closer to calling me a liar than I usually tolerate.”

Ron gulped, Harry looked like he wanted to do something very unpleasant. “Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to sound ... I wouldn't.”

“Well, alright then. Smoke?” Harry offered Ron a cigarette.

Ron shook his head. “No, thanks for the offer. If Mum ever found out... Let’s just say, I hate howlers.”

Harry grinned. “We better get going, we're going to be late if we don't run.”

Ron swore, grabbed his book bag and ran out. Harry followed, his long legged gait keeping up easily.

They made it to Ancient Runes just in time.  
.

 

shitsureishimashita – excuse me. (very formal. Not much used)  
Kyooju – professor  
Dono – the same as sama only very old fashioned and polite. Harry's being a snot.  
Ojiisan Agohigi – grandfather long beard  
kazuko – family  
Shimatta – Damn  
Ninkyo-dantai – charitable organization  
Shinobi Shozoku – ninja uniform. Shinobi is what ninja prefer to be called but I used ninja because it's what most people expect to read.  
Aho – dumb ass

And before you ask, Dumbledore doesn't notice that Harry's gone because he's not there himself.


	8. Chapter 8

Reminder from last chapter.

Harry grinned. “We better get going, we're going to be late if we don't run.”

Ron swore, grabbed his book bag and ran out. Harry followed, his long legged gait keeping up easily.

They made it to Ancient Runes just in time.

.

Professor Bathsheba Babbling just nodded to them as they slid into seats. “How is Mr. Longbottom?”

Harry pulled his book out of his bag as Ron answered, “He's ok. He had to go home, of course.”

The professor nodded and called the class to attention, then began her lecture. She explained what they were doing to cover this term, what she expected from them and so on. She also announced, “I've heard from several of the other professors that there's a slight mutiny over required writing materials. All I have to say is, I don't care what you take notes with, but I will check them and grade on completeness. Personal work is your concern; but, all assignments must be turned in on proper parchment written in proper ink. Now. Read chapter one and be ready to discuss it next class period.”

Harry examined the runes they were going to cover first, then read a bit of the chapter. He wound up with a very important, to him, question. He raised his hand.

“Yes, Mr. Potter?” Professor Babbling wasn't prepared for a question this early in the year, but she was resigned. This one and the Granger girl were going to be interesting.

“I don't understand something right off. Where are the stroke order charts?”

The professor thought about that for a second then asked, “What is a stroke order chart? I've never heard of such a thing.”

Harry got out his brush pen and a scrap of note paper, the professor noticed that, instead of being lined, it was covered with squares with x's from corner to corner and side to side. He quickly wrote a symbol on it. “This is kanji. It has two applications. One, simple writing; two, magical applications from warding to ... well, just about anything. Only, kanji used in magic have to be written in proper stroke order or they're useless. Informational kanji can be written in almost any order but ... you're better off to follow the proper order, so that they'll all be the same size. See?” He showed her the kanji he'd written.

“I do see. Interesting. But, to answer your question; no, there are no proper stroke orders for runes. You can write them in any stroke order. It's the charging of the rune that makes them magical. Uncharged, they're just writing.”

Harry bowed slightly from a sitting position. “Thank you, Sensei.”

Professor Babbling glanced at the page of notes Harry had already written and said, “Perhaps it would be a good idea to take your notes in English?”

Harry frowned, another interference in his affairs? He decided to nip that one in the bud. “Perhaps. Unfortunately, I don't write English, only kanji. I'm sure that I wrote on a ... what would it be? Third grade level? ... before I went to Nihon but I've forgotten it through disuse.”

The professor looked taken aback. “Oh, I see. Well then, do what you need to do. But I'll have to grade off for your notes being unreadable ... er, to me.”

Harry just shook his head. “That is unacceptable. My notes are perfectly legible to me and that is all that counts, if you want proof, I'll read them to you. Excuse me, I'm falling behind the others.” And with that he firmly stuck his nose back in his book and began reading.

Professor Babbling, not willing to get caught up in a battle of wills with him, returned to her desk to think about this mess. This boy so obviously did not want to be here, he didn't care much about the rules and he had eyes as cold as ice. She did not want to be around when he finally blew. Professor Babbling had been teaching long enough to know when a student was on a slow fuse, and Harry Potter was definitely one.

Harry completed his chapter by the end of the hour and headed off to Arithmancy. With Hermione on his tail.

“Yusuke-kun, was that true? You really don't remember how to write English? Do you think you can fake the professor out like that? Do you want me to teach you?” Hermione was having trouble keeping up with Harry. “Slow down.”

“No. We have exactly fifteen minutes to get from one side of Hogwarts to the other. And ... Yes, it's true. I really don't remember. I am not faking the professor and no. Be careful. You're getting very close to being too pushy.” Harry knew he was edgy, he always was after a Hitogoroshi. But some things needed to be done, so he did them. That included offing anyone who was messing around with one of his special people.

Hermione sighed, yanked her bag strap back onto her shoulder and grumbled, “Well, shoot. Ok. Dumbledore made the announcement at breakfast. Did you talk to Neville? Was he ok? Is there anything I can do?”

Surprisingly, Ron came to the rescue. “Damn it, woman, give him a break. Neville wasn't very upset, he and his uncle don't get along. There's nothing any of us can do. He'll be gone two days. One for the funeral and one for his investiture.”

Hermione blinked, “His what?” she scurried to keep up with both boys longer legs.

Harry looked blank too. “I don't know that word.” He snarled wordlessly as the door he tried turned out to be a fake.

Ron directed them down a hall that Harry didn't remember from his tour of the school. “This is only here on Wednesday. There's another one down the way that's only there on Thursday but it leads to the Potions class.”

Ron stopped at the classroom door, which was closed. He tried it and snarled, “Locked. Blast. Ok. Investiture means, literally, a ceremony ...”

Hermione couldn't help herself if she tried, she interrupted, “From the Latin (preposition in and verb vestire, 'dress' from vestis 'robe') to invest is the formal ceremony of conferring the authority and symbols of a high office upon an individual. In other words, someone is going to give Neville the physical symbols of his Lordship. Probably his Gran.”

Harry nodded, “I see. So. I'll have to find him a suitable present.”

Ron grimaced. “Probably should. I would, but ... well, I'm just broke enough that I can't afford something suitable.”

Harry snorted. “Give him some chocolate frogs. It's really the thought that counts. I can't count the number of times that someone gave me something totally inappropriate, expensive and really unappreciated. I always really liked the things that showed the giver thought about what I'd like, rather than what would impress either me or my father. Hermione?”

Hermione thought about that for a moment then agreed, “You're right. We all should get him a little something. Just to show that we're thinking of him.”

Ron nodded. “Ok. I can manage a little something. Hermione? Would you wrap it for me? I ... well, I’m really not good at that sort of thing.”

Hermione nodded quickly. “Sure, just bring it to me. We better get inside, Professor Vector is looking at us.”

Harry bowed carefully to the professor before sitting down in a seat near the door. He usually wanted to be away from doors and windows but he wanted to be as far away from Hermione right now, as humanly possible. Her bossy ways and interminable questioning was getting on his nerves. He didn't want to say anything to her that was – not proper. It would hurt her and would not help his quest to get her more socially aware.

He grumbled as he got out his things. “I swear, this place is like a rabbit warren. And the stairs move? What the fuck is that? And doors that aren't and halls that are only there on Tuesday?” He eyed his notes with disfavor and stuffed the spiral notebook back into his bag in favor of a blank one. If this teacher said one word about his kanji, he was walking out.

Instead of any sort of comment, Professor Vector started lecturing on the uses of arithmancy in spell creation. Harry was really interested in this so he paid close attention, taking notes carefully.

At the end of the hour, Professor Vector announced that anyone who could afford one was welcome to use a slide rule to help them with the advanced calculations needed in the class.

Harry again raised his hand to ask an unusual question. “Professor, is it alright for me to use a soroban?”

Professor Vector smiled faintly. She didn't care what the others said, he was polite. “I don't know what that is. Do you have it with you?” Harry nodded. “Show me?”

Harry was already fishing it out of his bag. He put it down on the desk in front of him.

“Oh, an abacus. Yes, that's fine.” She picked up the fine instrument. It was a rectangular frame made of some dark reddish wood, rosewood perhaps, with wires of steel. The beads were jade, the color of Harry's eyes. “Very nice.”

Harry put the abacus back into its case and stowed it away. “Thank you, Professor. Perhaps I'll send to my father for a slide rule too.”

Professor Vector just nodded. She dismissed the class, saying, “That's all for today. Have the problems in the back of the chapter done for next session. Good day.”

Harry gathered up his things and shoved the whole mess into his bag, willy-nilly. He was hungry and wanted a good meal before Transfiguration. He was sure McGonagall was going to be a pain again. He really didn't understand why the woman didn't like him. He'd expected more trouble with Snape, from what the others said. He resolved to write a letter to his father and have all his contacts investigated. He snarled at himself for his stupidity. He should have done that first thing.

He managed to get all the way down to the Great Hall without a hanger on. In other words, he avoided both Ron and Hermione. He joined Seamus and Dean just long enough to get to the Great Hall then broke off to sit by himself. He needed a break from all the closeness. He just wasn't used to being so close to so many people for so long with no way out. He ate quickly and made a break for the door, only to be thwarted by Professor McGonagall.

“Mr Potter!” Harry turned his head to find the professor standing next to the only way out. “I would like to speak to you for a moment.”

Harry ambled over to her. “Then speak.” He took a cigarette out of his case and lit it.

“Will you please refrain from that disgusting occupation while in my presence? And ...” she took a deep breath. “Well, I won't stand here blethering and havering. We've gotten off on the wrong foot with each other. I was hoping to have you to tea on Saturday to try to ...fix this.”

Harry nodded. “I don't know what the problem is. I'm sure I didn't do anything, but I'm willing if you are. So ...” He glanced at the air over McGonagall's head. “I better run. I'll be late to ... well, doesn't make much difference since it's your class.”

Professor McGonagall let out a little squeak. “Blast. We both better hustle.”

And hustle they did, making it to the classroom with five minutes to spare.

McGonagall called the class to order and set them to reading the chapter of the day. Then, when she was sure everyone had read it, she started asking questions. Hermione, of course, waved her hand frantically. McGonagall just said, “Miss Granger, I see your hand. Please allow others an opportunity.” Hermione subsided with a soft huff.

Harry was pleased to see that his suggestion to Flitwick had been passed on. He'd run into the professor in the hall and overheard him grumbling to himself about Hermione's habit of butting in during review sessions and hogging the floor. He'd suggested acknowledging her hand then telling her outright that they'd seen her and reminding her that others wanted a chance too.

He really couldn't see the benefit to annoying the professors as she did. But then, he'd quit attending school of any kind after his experience at his first, and only, juku. Private tutors had kept him up to speed with all his studies, magical and otherwise. He swore once again that he was going to socialize her, or kill her. He just wasn't sure which yet.

He was also considering killing Ron Weasley. The boy didn't have a brain in his head. His constant antagonizing of any Slytherin that happened to be nearby was more than annoying. It was downright dangerous. Someone named Theo Nott had hexed Ron and he’d had to go to the hospital to have horns removed. Harry smiled to himself, he had looked quite funny with rams horns curling around his ears.

Professor McGonagall asked questions all around the room then startled the whole class by asking Harry, “Mr Potter, could you give us a short run down on the differences between transfiguration practices in Britain and Japan?”

Yusuke, who was still having trouble thinking of himself as Harry, stood up. “Yes, Sensei. First, living to non-living, or animate to inanimate as you call it, is considered ... rude. It's just not done, unless it is a great emergency. I believe it comes from either Buddhist or Shinto principles. Do no harm. Who knows whether the transfiguration hurts the animal? Who knows if it is frightened? It is interfering with the creature’s natural state, therefore, it is probably harmful on some level.” He paused for questions but there weren't any. “Very well. Everyone understand?” A few nods but most students looked a bit glassy eyed.

Professor McGonagall nodded her head in encouragement so Harry went on. “Other than that and the fact that we don't use a wand, things are pretty much the same. Oh, all efforts to transfigure anything into gold have failed. Also, silver or platinum don't work. You can transfigure the semblance but not the essence.”

“I see. Well, any questions? Any one? Miss Granger, surely you have at least one question?” She looked around the room finally catching Draco Malfoy's eye. “Mr Malfoy, surely you have a question?”

Malfoy stood up, looked around with a very satisfied expression on his face then asked, “So, Potter, what on earth possessed you to run off to Japan of all uncivilized places?”

Harry just smiled. Draco paled, that smile was quite familiar, in a way. Harry had smiled just like his father, Lucius Malfoy, did before he ripped a strip off him. “Ah, A very good question. Thank you for asking.” He took a moment to look around then said, “I left because I was not happy where I was. My relatives were not nice people and were abusive. You do not need the details, it's not your business. In Japan, I am well treated. My friends would give their lives for me, as I would for them. They call me oojisama, kumicho...”He smirked a bit. “Also, Shiko-sha and Shinigami-chan. Not freak, and boy. I do not wish to be here again. Satisfied?” Harry pinned a now milk white Malfoy with a glower that made his thin blood run cold.

“Yes, I believe I am.” Malfoy decided he really had to write his father a letter. He flopped down in his chair in a graceless way that would have earned him a lecture from his mother.

Harry looked around. “Any more personal questions?” His expression clearly said there'd better not be. He did notice the rather shocked look on Hermione's face.

Professor McGonagall gave up. “Mr Malfoy, a detention and ten points from Slytherin for asking personal questions in an educational venue. Our time is nearly up, end of chapter questions for next period. Class dismissed.” She watched the students leave feeling rather old and very tired.

“McGonagall-sensei? Are you well?” Yusuke was a bit worried about the professor. She looked tired and a bit ill.

“Yes. Just ... feeling guilty. I told Albus the Dursleys was not a place to leave a magical child. So unsuitable. But ... he refused to listen. When we found out what they'd been doing, I really thought he was going to harm them. Then he gave Petunia a lecture the likes of which I have never heard. Vernon is still in prison.” She took a deep breath then exclaimed, “Goodness me, what am I thinking. Mr Potter, I'm ... embarrassed.” She fluttered a bit then settled.

Harry just sighed. “Sou ka. Hai. I think you did the best you could. Ojiisan Agohigi has some answering to do. But not just yet. Excuse me, I think I should go now.” He stood up and left, giving the entering student a warning glower.

.

Yusuke spent the rest of the afternoon studying, writing letters and thinking.

He had history first thing, then defense. He had single potions after lunch. He decided to read the history first so he settled down with his nose in The History Of The Magical World. He had been amazed that only one book was needed for all seven years, until he opened it. It was a magical book, the index showed that it covered all seven years in detail. He settled down to read the chapter that Professor Binns should be covering tomorrow.

It didn't take him long to finish his chapter. He was tired of reading so, instead of moving on to defense, he wrote a letter to his father and another to Genji. Then he wrote to the man he'd left in charge of his house, and his kaikei and shingiin. He instructed them to find out everything they could about Dumbledore, Voldemort and Malfoy. He also placed secondary importance on Granger, Weasley and McGonagall.

He was also going to do some asking around of his own. He wondered at the faint air of tension that seemed always to surround Ron and Hermione.

He tapped his fingers on the table while he thought. Dumbledore was a very busy man. He was aware that he, Dumbledore, tended to make suggestions then dismiss things from his memory. A case in point was the fact that Dumbledore had had McGonagall send out the letters for years. If they didn't succeed, or got a refusal, she usually didn't follow up on them. Harry just wondered if he'd be here at all, if the Ministry hadn't stuck its nose in. Two years of refusals, the last one four years ago, had ended the Admission letters. He felt sorry for the owls.

He finished his self assigned tasks and went to supper.

.

At supper, Harry watched the interactions between Neville, Hermione and Ron. He had moved Dean and Seamus off his radar as not being 'players'. He was also removing most of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs from his list. Slytherin was a 'keep a loose eye on all of them', for now. So, his first order of business was to figure out what was going on between his special ones.

So he asked Neville.

Neville had settled beside him and taken a bowl of ramen.

“Neville, I'm glad you made it back for supper. So, tell me a story.” Harry smiled at Neville.

“Ok, what about? As if I didn't know.” Neville was by no means as stupid as many thought. And now, as head of his family and an acknowledged lord in his own right, he was letting more people see the real him.

“Well, first, how was your investiture?” Harry really was interested in this.

“Fine. Gran tried to talk me out of it, but I just put my foot down and said no. Uncle managed to eat and drink himself into a massive stroke, at the family expense, I might add. And she's no head for business, no matter what she might believe. Being a societal mavin is not the same as being a good manager. So ... business will all come to me now. And keeping up with everything is not going to be fun. And this is not what you really want to know about, is it?”

Harry shook his head in mock sorrow. “My friend, you wound me. I really am interested. I have a present for you. I was going to owl order something, but I changed my mind. I'll give it to you later. Now. Tell me about Ron and Hermione? Did they date? Was it a bad break up?”

Neville choked on his soup. “Date? Hermione and Ron? Absolutely not. It was a real mess.”

And with that Neville proceeded to tell Harry about the Philosophers Stone.

It seemed that Dumbledore had convinced his friend Nicholas Flamel to bring his stone to Hogwarts, just before Gringotts was broken into.

Hermione, in her unquenchable quest to know everything about everything, found out that something was on the third floor, not that Dumbledore had kept it much of a secret. “Stay away from the left hand corridor on the third floor unless you wish to die.” was not a good way to keep a school full of magical and inquisitive children way from that particular place.

Ron had said something nasty about her in her hearing and sent Hermione into the girls room to cry. The only reason the troll that Quirrel, the possessed teacher, let into the school hadn't killed her was the Weasley twins, Fred and George, had noticed that she was missing and gone to find her. They'd blinded the troll with smoke bombs, grabbed her and run. The professors had handled the troll, but in all the confusion, Quirrel had gotten the stone and taken it away.

Dumbledore had had to admit that Voldemort had a body again. Rita Skeeter had seen to that. Neville's acid comments about her made Harry laugh.

But that whole event had put a definite wedge between Ron and Hermione that still existed. She was scrupulously polite, even mildly friendly, to Ron. And Ron was, quite obviously, clueless as to why she never offered help on homework, or research, nor would she ever be alone with him if she could avoid it. The Twins had pranked him for ages and he still didn't get it.

So, Harry changed the subject, his curiosity satisfied about one question.

“And who the hell is Voldemort, when he's at home.” Harry knew he had something to do with the reason the Ministry wanted him here. 'They' had told him that Dumbledore would fill him in, obviously Dumbledore hadn't gotten the memo. He wanted to know things now, not get a nasty surprise because he was uninformed. Dumbledore had a lot to answer for and the list was getting longer by the day. “I've overheard a few bits of information, but nothing truly useful. The Ministry representative told me that Dumbledore would explain things to me, but ...” He shrugged, spreading his hands then clenching them into fists. “he's keeping all his information clenched in a tight fist. Blast the old baka.”

Neville shook his head. “I'm not the one to ask about him. Please don't press me. OK?”

Harry saw his obvious distress so he asked, “Daijoubu desu ka, Neville-kun?”

“Iie, Yusuke-kun. Please, ask someone else.” Neville tried to hide his distress, and to anyone else he succeeded, but Harry could see that he really didn't want to talk about it.

“Very well, Neville-kun. Gomen nasai.” He patted Neville on the shoulder and pushed a cup of tea nearer to his hand. “I'll ask Hermione. Something I was devoutly avoiding. She'll lecture me to death.”

Neville smiled a bit. “Yes, but she's sure to have all the facts, or be able to find them. She’s a regular demon for research. And you can tell her I said so.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “Be careful, my friend, the waters are deep and full of sharks.”

Harry nodded at this and returned to his meal.

When he was sure Hermione was done eating, Harry called to her, “Hermione, a moment, if you please.”

Hermione, who was just about to head for their study, turned and said, “Sure. What is it?”

Harry looked around at all the staring people and sighed, this was annoying, everyone staring at him all the time. “Some place a bit more private? Our study, perhaps?”

Hermione was also uncomfortable. “Yeah, I think so too.”

They walked up to the study in companionable silence, both well aware that eavesdroppers were everywhere.

When they got to the study, Harry pulled several ofuda from his sleeve and tossed them to the ceiling and walls. He put a special silencing and locking one on the door. He activated them with a simple, “Kaishi.”

“Now, we can talk in peace. Hermione, who the hell is Voldemort and why does the Ministry insist that I have to return to England. It's not as if I'm someone special. Oh, and do you want me to kill Weasley for you?” Harry settled in one of the easy chairs while he was speaking and called another close with a wave of his hand.

Hermione settled into the chair with a soft huff of irritation. “You are seriously sitting there and telling me that no one has explained anything to you?”

Harry just raised an eyebrow then pulled out his cigarette case. “You want?” He motioned at Hermione with the case.

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “No, thank you. Now. I'll start at the beginning and forgive me if I tell you something you already know.”

“Kini shinaide. Um ... don't worry about it.” Harry waved the hand holding the cigarette leaving a thin trail of smoke behind.

Hermione sighed then started telling Harry everything she knew again, careful questioning from Harry patching together the things she'd told him before into a whole.

When she was done, Harry sat and stared at her for so long that she ventured cautiously, “Yusuke-san, daijoubu desu ka?”

Harry sighed. “No, I'm not ok. These people are all ... I have no words. If it wasn't so pathetic, I'd be pissed. They really think I'm the only one who can defeat this ... Dark Lord. Because of a prophecy by a drunk? Are they all crazy? Or just stupid.”

Hermione curbed her endless flow of questions to answer as succinctly as possible. “Yes, Yes, and I'm not sure.”

“Sheeple, that's what they are. They all want to bury their heads under the covers and have someone else deal. Well. Ok. But ... it's going to cost them. I have to think. Mmmm.” He returned to his smoking, allowing Hermione to sit, watching him with some concern.

He returned to the present after two cigarettes, or about fifteen minutes. “Ah, Ofukuro-sensei and Ojiisan Agohigi have some explaining to do. Do you think they'll tell me anything?”

Hermione snorted softly. “I doubt it. Ojiisan Agohigi is Dumbledore, right?” Harry nodded. “He believes in second chances, and thirds and fourths. No matter that it's creating chaos all over. Take Ron for instance. I was told rather pointedly to be polite to him, by both Dumbledore and McGonagall. You'll notice that I took your advice to heart. They're both ... professors but ... I respect McGonagall but I don't trust her. She's Dumbledore's woman to the core. And Headmaster Dumbledore isn't here enough to merit the title. He's always either at the Wizengamot or the ICW. He makes pronouncements, meddles where he doesn't understand all the ... ramifications” She waved a hand in irritation. “then wonders why things are falling apart. Voldemort ... all he has to do is hit a few key places and we're doomed. But no one wants to see that. I'm seriously considering grabbing my folks and heading for ... somewhere not here. But ... if something isn't done soon, Voldemort will spread his poison all over the world. Then where will we be?” She bit her lip hard to keep from crying.

Harry sighed. “Shimatta! I'm no good with crying females. Yamero yo, Hermione-chan.”

Hermione managed to sniffle her tears away. “Sorry. Um ... warui.”

Harry laughed, “Yokatta. Good. Now, I know a thing or two. Stop worrying about it.” He cocked his head. “Ha, someone is coming. I think it's Neville.” He waved his hand, said, “Yamero.” and the ofuda burned away.

Hermione yelped, “Oh, shit. Sorry. I forgot one thing. Some of Voldemort's minions, I'm not sure who, tortured Neville's parents until they lost their minds. He's a bit sensitive about it.”

“Well, that explains a few other things. Find out who it was, please.”

There wasn't time for more conversation as Neville came in carrying an armful of books.

Harry stood up. “Neville. I have your investiture present here.” He grinned. “I looked it up. You're entitled to carry a weapon on your person at all times. So ... here.” He reached into mallet space and pulled out a very nice tanto. “It's very sharp, short enough that you can stick it in a boot and it's legal.” He held it out to Neville across the palms of both hands, as was traditional. “Dozo.”

Neville, not quite aware of what to do, simply took it from the middle with one hand. Then he bowed and said, “Thank you very much.” He pulled the tanto out of its saya a bit. “It's very beautiful.”

“I'm glad you like it, Neville-san. I'll show you how to hide it, if you like.” Harry really wanted Neville to carry the tanto. Things were more dangerous than he'd expected, if what Hermione had said was true.

Neville gazed at the tanto for a moment then said, “Gran and Uncle didn't want me to have sword lessons, because they both thought I was too clumsy. But I got in a few. The teacher taught me some spells to hide bulges.” He tucked the tanto into his belt then cast the spell he knew. The bulge disappeared. “Ok?”

Harry inspected him then nodded. “Yes, very good. Hermione? Comment?”

Both boys expected Hermione to go off on some sort of rant about carrying weapons in school.

But, she wasn't stupid by any means and was beginning to realize that Harry and Neville were her last chances at real friends. She decided that she would keep her thoughts to herself and just be there to help out when things went wrong. So, instead of blowing up, she just said, “I hope you know the rules. I don't see it at any rate.” She smiled at Neville. “And, that brings us to ...” she reached into her bag and held out a package that was obviously a book. “It's the Rules of Order of the Wizengamot. It also details the rights and obligations of a Lord of the Realm. I thought it might come in handy. Especially since your Gran seems to be determined to keep you ignorant.”

Neville grinned. “Well, it seems you're jumping in with both feet. Thanks. This will really come in handy.”

Hermione flushed but defended, “Well, in for a penny in for a pound. Some of the things Yusuke-sama said the other day got me to thinking. I think ...” She laughed. “I think I need to rethink a lot of my attitudes. He's right, they're not working.” with that rather cryptic remark she turned to her desk. “Now, I really need to get on my homework. I've got an outside research project that I want to get to.”

Harry glanced at Neville then remarked wryly, “Well, we have our marching orders, don't we?”

Neville just shrugged. “I'm behind because of my absence. I have three days to make up the work in potions and ten for the rest. I hate Snape. He's just ... Snape.”

Harry laughed, agreed and went to his desk to finish his work.

Later that evening, Neville still had his nose in a book, Hermione was writing in a spiral note book and Harry was smoking while he read a newspaper. He had managed to get a mailbox delivered, the elves had put it on his desk while he was in class.

He could now send letters within England, to previously established locations, which included Gringotts and a small shop that imported newspapers from around the world. This meant that he got Tokyo Times and Hokkaido Shimbun.

Hermione stretched, glanced at her watch and exclaimed, “Oh, goodness me. Look at the time. We'll be late if we don't hurry.”

Harry snickered as he put his last cigarette out then banished it. He used to just banish them but quit when he realized he had no idea where they went. “We're only about twenty steps away from the portrait hole. Remember?”

Hermione, very intelligently, stuck her tongue out at him.

Harry snorted then said, “I wouldn't want that nasty thing in my mouth either. Come on.”

They didn't even have to hurry. The portrait closed just as curfew rang.

.

Next morning was a repeat of the others. Exercise, meditate, shower, dress.

Hermione had her nose in a book at breakfast and only ate because Neville forced a sandwich of toast, eggs and bacon on her.

Harry ate traditional and had to endure Ron telling him miso, rice and smoked fish was 'barbaric'. Harry couldn't see that consuming vast amounts of eggs, bacon, ham and other heavy foods could possibly be good for someone. And Ron's table manners were worse than any he'd ever seen. Even the coarsest yakuza had better.

Harry watched Ron stuff himself for a moment then remarked with commendable mildness, “If eating a proper British breakfast gives one manners like yours, pray excuse me.” If Ron had looked him in the eye he'd probably have choked on something. Harry returned to his food, ignoring the snickers from nearby students. Hermione smirked into her book.

When he was finished, Harry got Hermione's attention by taking her book away from her.

“Yusuke! Baka! Give me that.” Hermione made a grab for it.

“In a moment. I'm heading for class now. You have exactly ten minutes to sit there, it takes ten to get to class. Leave on time, please.” He then gave Hermione back her book.

She grumbled, stuck her book in her bag and tapped Neville on the shoulder. “Are we following our fearless leader or messing around here for another ten minutes?”

“Lets go now. Weasley is giving me the queazies.” Neville silently cheered the fact that the twins had failed last year and were repeating, only because he and Arthur, their father, had agreed to finance their dream of a prank shop, if they got E's in their classes. He'd actually managed to sneak that promise by both his Gran and Uncle.

Harry led the way to History, interested to hear the lecture. He wondered how a ghost could actually teach a class.

It turned out that a ghost didn't. Binns didn't take attendance, make announcements or check to see if anyone remembered anything from last year. He just started lecturing. His drone soon put everyone in the class to sleep, except for Harry.

He listened for a few moments then realized that Binns was lecturing on Goblin wars, a subject that they were supposed to have covered in third year. Finally he leaned over, poked Hermione, who was nearly asleep and asked, “When does he get to this years material?”

“He doesn't. We'll have to study the proper information ourselves. He has a set of lectures he gives every year.”

Harry felt his stomach drop. “Chikushou! Nan da kor'ya? Every year? How does he get away with that?”

Hermione shrugged. “I have no idea. And Dumbledore just twinkles and says that there's nothing like learning history from someone who was there. Only ... he wasn't. I checked. The best I can figure out, he died in the early 1880's, just old age. He rose right out of his dead body and went to class. That means, unless he was really old he couldn't have been born much before 1730 or so. That's allowing for him to be around 150. I hate this class.”

Harry smirked a bit and announced, “Color me shocked. The supreme student Granger-sama hates a class.” Hermione smacked at him feebly. “Come on, let's just skip. You'll do the reading tonight.”

Hermione snorted. “I've already done it.”

Harry smirked even worse. “Me too. Let's take a walk. It's nice outside and the last of the nice days, so I've been told. We'll go over the defense work and I'll sneak you a ride on my oar. How about it?”

Hermione bit her lip. She'd never skipped a class in her life but she just couldn't see any reason not to. She knew kids who admitted to skipping every class then cramming for the finals and getting O's. “Well, ok.” She shoved her things into her bag and followed Harry out of the room. Binns didn't even notice.

Harry glanced over his shoulder and decided to do something nasty to that ghost very soon. There was no excuse in keeping him on. He didn't teach and students were surely suffering, even if they didn't know it. He didn't care that they were bored, he did care that they weren't learning anything.

“Hermione-chan, who was it who said that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it?”

Hermione shrugged. “I don't remember, but they were right. And Goblin Wars are all well and good but ... the entire wizarding world needs to know more modern history or we're all in trouble.” She nearly tripped as the staircase began to move. “Blast!”

Harry grabbed her arm and snarled. “Something will be done about ... never mind. Are you alright?”

Hermione straightened her robes. “Yes. I'm fine.”

They walked around the lake and Hermione even managed to coax the giant squid up close.

Harry was impressed, most girls would be squealing like stuck pigs at the sight.

The squid waved a couple of tentacles around for a bit then submerged again.

Hermione then asked to see Harry's oar.

He reached up and pulled it out of mallet space and let it hover about two feet off the ground.

Hermione sat on it at Harry's gesture, sidesaddle. “No, straddle it or you'll fall off at the first sharp turn.”

Hermione protested, “But you rode sidesaddle when we came up from the train.” her rueful expression puzzled Harry until she continued, “And I'm sorry we didn't hold a carriage for you but we thought you were going across in one of the boats. For the experience.”

“And why would I risk myself in a boat suited to four first years?” Harry looked down his nose at Hermione in mock hauteur. “Now, get situated and I'll get on behind you. We'll take a turn around the towers and land on the upper walk. That'll put us close to Defense.”

But, once in the air, Hermione wasn't having any of it. She realized that she really didn't like heights and she was slightly afraid as there didn't seem any way to stay on the oar. It was very broom like. She admitted to Harry that she didn't like brooms either. Another thing Ron held against her.

Acceding to Hermione's pleas, Harry landed them on the upper walk and they strolled along it and into the upper floors of the clock tower.

“Yusuke-kun, what's in that ... what did you call it? Mallet space? And where the heck ...” Hermione trailed off as Harry started laughing.

“Ranma1/2, mallet space. I read the manga and wanted one. Chichi-ue insisted that I do the research and figure it out myself. I had a lot of help but I did do it myself. And learned a lot about physics in the process.” Harry smiled at Hermione's rather stunned expression.

“Ok. Well, what is in it?” Hermione looked around as if she expected to be able to see where it was.

A laugh greeted this. “I'm not sure. I cleaned it out a little while ago but it does tend to gather junk. Here.” With that, he started pulling things out and putting them on the floor.

When he was done there were four books, a spiral note book, a pen, two tanto, a wakazashi, a ninjato, a katana, the oar, two bento boxes; one empty, one full and a small pile of trash.

Harry looked at the collection for a moment then said, “I need more bento and some candy. And some fruit. What's in season here?”

Hermione just sighed. “You shouldn't eat too many sweets. They'll rot your teeth. Apples and oranges are in season. And nuts.”

Harry called for service, thanked the elf for coming and asked for his empty bento to be cleaned and filled and for the elf to bring him whatever fruit, nuts and sweets were available.

The elf popped away and returned quickly with the clean bento, a three layer tiffin carrier and fruit, nuts and sweets in small boxes. Harry tucked it all away, thanked the elf and glanced at his watch.

“We better go or we're going to have to run so as not to be late.”

Hermione huffed her irritation. “You ... I swear, I used to be ten to fifteen minutes early for every class. Now I'm nearly always almost late. You're a bad influence.”

Harry bowed, still walking. “I do try, Granger-dono.”

Hermione just growled, “Don't think that calling me lady in that old fashioned way will get you anywhere.” which caused him to give her his best wide eyed innocent look.

They were both laughing when they got to the room.

They weren't laughing ten minutes later.

Lockhart had let a cage full of cornish pixies loose in the class room. His dramatic flourish when he removed the cover had agitated them then he'd opened the door. Harry was going to kill him, sooner or later, after he'd figured out how to do it without getting caught. Or he'd just hang around and wait for someone else to do it for him.

As it was, he was doing his best to corral the damn things. Hermione wasn't being much help, not that she wasn't trying, but they kept getting into her hair and pulling it. This made her squeal then try to dislodge it, which made the pixie angry. And that made it necessary for Harry or Neville to take time to remove the pixie.

Finally, Harry just snarled, “Kono Fakku!” and pulled his katana out of mallet space. He unsheathed it and handed the saya to Hermione. “Here, take this and get out.”

Hermione just took it and scurried out, keeping low. Neville went with her, keeping the pixies from attacking them both with stinging hexes. Lockhart was locked in his quarters by this time.

Neville started to close the door but Hermione stopped him. “We might have to go back in and help him.”

Neville snorted, a strange, harsh sound coming from him. “I don't think so. It'll all be over very soon. Like .... now.”

And it was. It hadn't taken Harry long to cut the pixies down in mid air. He didn't bother with any fancy technique, he just jumped into the air and started cutting them. As they were small, he mostly cut their heads off or cut them in half. He even took the time to cast a charm to keep blood and guts off his clothing, face and hair.

It took him almost a minute to get the last one. As he had picked off the pixies, one by one, they had started scattering and hiding, instead of attacking. Harry didn't care, he was bound to get them all. One thing Lockhart hadn't told anyone was, their bites were poisonous. You wouldn't die, but you'd get a nasty infection.

“Well, that's that.” Harry took time to flick the last of the mess off his blade then wipe it down with a piece of oiled rice paper from his sword cleaning kit. The one he kept in his pocket. He banished the paper, took the saya from Hermione and grumbled, “Well, that's another waste of a good class. Can we have lunch yet?”

Hermione sighed. “No, it's not time yet.”

She started to say something else but was interrupted by Lockhart who scurried out of the classroom and announced, “There! See, I knew you had it in you. Harry, Harry, Harry; I can call you Harry? Of course, I can. Our brilliance is a guaranteed headline. We just need to get some pictures. Where's that Colin boy?” He tried to put an arm around Harry.

Harry thrust him off easily and said, “Yamate! Hottoyte!”

Hermione realized that Harry was very close to doing violence to the idiot. She moved into Harry's line of vision and started to touch him, but Neville stopped her. She thought quickly then called, “Choto matte. Maa Maa, Yusuke-kun. Calm down. Come on. Leave him alone and let's see if they've served lunch yet.”

Harry tugged his robes back into order and gave Lockhart a dirty look. “You hentai. You keep your hands to yourself.”

Lockhart spluttered a bit, then tried to make some idiotic excuse. No one listened to him. They all turned their backs on him and hurried off, Hermione and Neville practically dragging Harry.

Harry sighed as they pulled him along. “I miss my men. And I hate it here.” He refused to say anything more until he'd had tea.

.

Lunch was followed by an announcement from Dumbledore himself that killing class specimens was not allowed. Harry gave the man his best innocent 'who me?' look and received a twinkling, forgiving benign smile back. He suppressed a shudder. The man was truly totally clueless.

Hermione just sighed. She's always depended on authority figures to help her form her own opinions. After all, they were older, supposedly wiser and in power for a reason. Right? Evidently not.

Harry realized that he'd drifted off a bit when Ron poked him in the side, something that was going to get him hurt, sooner or later. “Yes?”

“Pass the chicken, will you?” Ron didn't have an opinion in his head, other than that all the food should be within his reach.

Harry passed it then said to the table at large, “When do we have Ethics class? Or Logic and Reasoning? Seventh year?”

Hermione snickered. “Ethics? Never. Logic and Reasoning? Are you serious? Wizards don't understand Logic or Reasoning. I found that out the hard way. If you're really interested we could have a discussion period once a week.”

“That would be good. I'll order some books as well. Have you read Arts of War, or The Prince. They're both interesting and we could apply the principles of Reasoning to both. And there's a series of Ethics books from ... I've forgotten. But my Sohonbucho will remember. I'll write to him tonight.”

Neville waited politely until he was sure they were done speaking then asked, “Would it be alright for me to participate? It sounds interesting.”

Harry glanced at Hermione then said, “I'd be interested in your view point. Just, no shouting or name calling. It's counter productive.” He remembered a few discussions in the Wakashu common room that had come to blows. Not something he'd enjoyed sorting out.

Neville nodded. “We ought to establish some ground rules for such things. Just so there's no hard feelings. I'd hate to lose a friend over a discussion.”

Ron just bumbled into the conversation by asking, “What the heck are you talking about? Classes in Logic, Reasoning or Ethics? Who'd want to take those? Just more essays and stupid stuff to remember for a test we'll forget as soon as we take it.” He reached across Harry to grab a bowl. Unfortunately, it was Harry's personal rice bowl.

Now, due to his early life, Harry had an extreme dislike of anyone messing with his food. He usually had a bad reaction. In this case he grabbed Ron's wrist and slammed it down on the table. “Leave it! That's my rice!” He got into Ron's face, deciding it was time that they saw a taste of his temper. “Next time you lay a hand on my food, I'll cut it off. Do. You. Understand. Me?”

Ron took one good look at Harry's face and gasped. He was right on the edge of murder. “Sorry! I'm sorry. I thought it was ...”

Harry interrupted softly. “No, you didn't think. You just grabbed. You're nothing but a stomach on legs. Mend your ways or I'll mend them for you.” He then smiled, patted Ron on one pale cheek and said, calmly, “Now that we have an understanding ... potatoes?” and he handed Ron the bowl of mashed potatoes that was just out of his reach on the other side of the rice bowl.

Ron gulped. He took the bowl with a shaking hand then put it down. “I think I've lost my appetite. Excuse me.” He got up, found his book bag and hurried out.

Hermione started to fuss at Harry for his actions but Neville frowned at her, then shook his head. She thought for a second then said, with commendable restraint, “Yusuke-kun, that wasn't very nice. He just made a mistake. Why did you do that?”

“Because I'm a bit of a junk yard dog when it comes to my food. I went hungry often enough that I tend to guard it.” He caught the look on Neville's face so he explained, “The Dursleys didn't think a freak should have nice things, like enough food. Chichi-ue saw to it that I had potions to make up for the lack. Drop it.”

Hermione just sighed, “I think I hate those people. And ... never mind. Just ... if I do something ... stupid. Don't look at me like that.” She grinned at both boys. “I'd probably pee myself.” Then she went off into a snicker fit.

Harry eyed her with every evidence of disgust, then laughed too. “So ... don't grab my food. Touch me from behind without warning. Or take things out of my hand without asking and we'll be fine.”

Neville just marked Harry's advice, then said, “We better get going. Potions. The bane of my existence.”

A snide voice from behind them made Neville and Hermione start. “Well, Longbottom, if you had half a brain you wouldn't make such retarded mistakes. You're hopeless. And, if you think you're going to manage a Masters in Herbology without Potions, think again.”

Harry just examined the slender, very blond boy for a moment. He stood up and walked into his face. “Nan dai yo, aho? Odore! Oy, kono yaru ...”

Hermione interrupted, “Yusuke-san! English!”

Harry snorted. “Ya, warui. You! What the fuck is this, you bastard? Why are you picking on my friend? You want to start something? You better be careful or your mouth will write a check your ass can't cash.”

Draco Malfoy backed away a bit. Harry's low voiced comments were not only rude, but rather frightening. He reminded Draco of his godfather, Severus Snape, when he was in a temper.

“My name is Draco Malfoy. I believe we covered that?” Harry made a rude sound and waved a hand, producing a cigarette from somewhere. “Do you actually know who I am? I'll have you to know that I am a very important person. My father is Lucius Malfoy, a member in good standing of the Wizengamot and he's on the board of governors. I'll thank you to remember that. And to mind your own business.” He stuck his nose in the air, sure that he'd cowed the other boy.

Harry dragged in a lungful of smoke then exhaled, right into Draco's face. “Ah! That explains much. You are so obviously your father's darling. I'm so sorry. My mistake.” Draco preened. “I thought you might be someone of consequence in your own right. Excuse me.” And with that he bowed just enough to be extremely rude then he walked off, motioning for Hermione and Neville to follow.

They did, along with several others.

Draco let out a yelp then yelled, “You don't walk away from me! Who the hell do you think you are? I'll tell my father and he'll ...” no one of any consequence heard the rest of the rant as they were all leaving for classes. Several Slytherins stayed around to sooth Draco's ruffled feathers. His godfather eyed him with disgust and resolved to write to Lucius as soon as possible. The boy was becoming a liability in more ways than one.

He realized that it was just as much his fault as it was Lucius and Narcissa's. They'd all spoiled the boy rotten and gotten exactly what they'd deserved. He watched Harry Potter as he led his little group of sycophants out the door. The boy wasn't as arrogant as he'd expected, nor did he look that much like James. To be truthful, he looked more like Lily than he did James. Snape sighed and headed for his classroom. He didn't hurry as class couldn't start until he got there.

Class was dismal. Harry was still in a temper and refused to participate. If asked a question he just shrugged and said, “I don't know, ask Granger-san.” Hermione took pleasure in jumping on those questions and answering with her usual thoroughness. Draco pouted and gave answers at random. Everyone else in the class either didn't know, or couldn't frame their answer into coherent sentences.

Snape was extremely surprised and annoyed to find that Neville Longbottom was one of the few who could actually answer any questions about the subject of the chapter, which turned out to be the uses of aconite in potions and the origin of its many names.

He finally gave it all up as a bad job and snarled, “You'll all take a T for the day, except for Longbottom, Francis and Taylor.”

Harry just interjected, “Ah, Snape-Kyōshi, you forgot Granger-san.”

Professor Snape was not about to get into an argument over that girl, so he just nodded then continued, “Since none of you seem to be able to read, you'll all give me twenty-four inches on the use of aconite in potions, due this period next week.” He glowered around for a moment, then snarled, “Well, what are you dunderheads waiting for? Out! All of you, out!”

The entire class scrambled to get out, except for Harry. He levered himself up from his chair, stuffed his things into his bag and wandered in the general direction of the door.

Snape stopped him with a silky voiced, “A moment, Potter, if you would.” Harry just glanced over his shoulder. “If Dumbledore finds out you have a sword, he'll confiscate it. Now, I don't care what you do with it, but he'll object if you decapitate a student.”

Harry sighed dramatically, “I suppose defenestration is out as well?” Snape just nodded, one sharp tip of his head. “Too bad.”

As soon as he hit the door, Harry plucked a cigarette out of his case and started smoking.

Neville give up, his curiosity was killing him. “May I?” he reached for the cigarette.

Harry gave it up easily, Neville had asked, and waited. “Of course. Be my guest.”

Neville took the cigarette a bit awkwardly then just walked along looking at it. “Um ... what now?”

Harry chuckled while Hermione looked on in a combination of irritation and amusement.

Harry produced another and put it to his lips. He sucked in, hollowing his cheeks a bit. Neville followed suit and promptly began coughing. Hermione helpfully slapped him on the back several times, until he stopped choking.

“Merlin's saggy arse cheeks! How can you do that? That's ... awful.”

Hermione took the cigarette from him with a snicker. “A badly misspent youth, I suspect.”

Harry just chuckled, then rejoined, “Without a doubt.

Hermione found that she really couldn't resist the temptation to try the cigarette herself. She knew it was bad for her, she knew it was nasty, but she just had to know how it tasted. She took a deep drag. She immediately started coughing. Harry patted her back.

“Oh, bloody fucking hell! That's ... that's ...” She took the handkerchief Harry helpfully handed her.

“That is a Djarum Coklat kretek. It's a bit strong for a newbie.” Harry took back his carefully scorgified handkerchief and tucked it away. “But I started smoking at about nine, so I'm an old hand. Now. What do we have for tomorrow?”

Hermione cleared her throat, it still felt a bit scorched. “Well, Herbology, then Defense ... what a joke that is. Lunch and arithmancy then runes. And don't think I've forgotten about those cigarettes either.”

Harry rubbed his face, ignoring the cigarette problem for something more important. “Lockhart is a menace, granted. But ... as long as I pass, I really don't care.”

Hermione nodded. “It's Defense as usual. So we'll have to self-study this as well. Unfortunately, Lockhart takes attendance so we can't just skip. We'll have to sit in class and waste a whole hour of our day.” She held the cigarette away from her face, wondering what she was supposed to do with it.

Harry snorted softly and said, “Yes, we could be ... studying. Or having an orgy. Or something else interesting.”

“An orgy? What would you know about that?” Neville looked interested, Hermione looked outraged. Ron eavesdropped like mad.

Harry said, “Not much. My Kazoku doesn't deal in ... allow that sort of thing.” Neville caught the slip but didn't say anything about it.

They were heading for their study when Harry had his first, and only, run in with Peeves.

Harry was just crushing out his cigarette when Peeves tumbled into view. “Oh, what is Potty Potter doing? Nasty boy. Smoking in the hall. Shame on you.” And with that, Peeves tossed several water balloons at them. One hit Hermione in the head and another hit the cigarette she was still holding. Harry looked up just in time to get one in the face. Neville ducked but got one in the shoulder and another in the back.

Harry grabbed Hermione and shoved her into Neville's arms. He stepped between them and the poltergeist. He recognized Peeves for exactly what he was and did what he would usually do. He snatched several ofuda from his sleeve and threw them at Peeves, shouting, “Totsugeki shimasu!” as he did so.

The flurry of slender slips of paper glowed just before they hit Peeves in the face and chest. He made a small 'eep'ing sound before just disappearing with a soft pop.

Harry's swearing echoed through the hall and down the staircases. Hermione finally told him to, “Urusai, Yusuke-baka!” Then clamped a hand over her mouth.

Harry just glowered at her, demanding, “Well, what the fuck was that. Some sort of spirit, I know ... sure, but why would anyone allow a spirit that attacks people to remain? That's stupid in the extreme.”

Neville just shrugged. “He's always been around and a real pain in the ass. I'm really not sure why.”

Ron goggled from behind them. He'd been just about to warn them about Peeves but had been just that much too late. He couldn't believe that Harry had done, with just a few bits of paper, what students and professors had been trying to accomplish for years, maybe decades. He hurried to catch up.

“Wow, that was ...” he flailed one hand, trying to express himself. “fantastic. How'd you do that? Was it wandless? What's Professor Dumbledore going to think? Was it dark magic?”

Harry just walked away.

Hermione, on the other hand, snarled, “Will you shut up! That wasn't dark. Banishing a malignant spirit is never dark. And Peeves was definitely malignant. Idiot!” then she turned and flounced off

Ron blinked for a second then yelled after her. “Hey! You have to be polite to me. Dumbledore said.” Hermione turned, walking backward, and crossed her eyes at him then she turned back and hurried after Harry.

They studied until supper then returned to the common room after. Harry went up to the dorm and called for service. The elf that popped in was pleased to inform him that there was a bathing chamber with a huge tub available behind the shower room. He took one look and told the elf that he was more than pleased. He was especially delighted when the elf offered to scrub his back for him.

He spent nearly half an hour in the tub, just soaking. An elf finally told him he had to get out, before he 'shriveled up like a potion fig' as the elf said. So he got out and put on the yukata he'd brought with him and ambled out into the dorm room.

Neville and Ron were arguing amiably about something while Dean threw Bertie Botts Beans at Seamus.

Harry thought for a moment, another thing that he really missed was playing Hana Fuda with his men. There was no hope of sneaking some of them in and he didn't want to sneak out just to play cards; so, the only alternative was to teach his dorm mates. He decided on a game much like Baccarat or 21.

“Oi, you guys want to play some cards?” Harry offered the pack to Neville.

Neville took them, exclaiming, “Oh, Hana Fuda. I've wanted to learn since I first saw them. Yes.”

.  
Ending the chapter here as it's getting way too long.

.

The class schedule is a bit weird but, in case you want to know.  
Yusuke's schedule  
Mon. charms double, trans, lunch, free  
Tues. potions double, lunch, free  
wed. runes, arith. lunch. trans  
Thurs. history, defense, lunch, potions  
Fri. Herbology, defense, lunch, arith and runes.

Hitogoroshi – hit/murder  
oojisama – prince  
shiko-sha – the enforcer  
shinigami-chan – little god of death.  
Kaishi – begin  
kono fakku – fuck this  
yamatte – stop it  
hottoyte – piss off  
totsugeki shimasu – charge (attack)

 

The problem with bowing in Japan, and especially in my version, if you don't do it right, it can be quite insulting. That includes bowing too low, which is sarcasm, or not bowing deeply enough, which is insulting. Even bowing just the right depth at the wrong time can be called into question.


	9. Chapter 9

Harry spent the rest of the evening teaching his dorm mates how to play the card game.

It was late and they were all tired, the room was hot so Harry slipped up a bit. “Oi, Seamus, open the damn window. I'm about to sweat to death.” Harry shucked his yukata off one shoulder, wrapping the sleeve under his arm, he tucked it into his obi.

His head snapped up when he heard Seamus exclaim, “A Thiarna Dia!”

Neville stared silently while Ron and Dean both whispered, “Cool!” with every evidence of awe.

Harry shrugged away their compliments, as was proper, only saying, “Arigato, mina. Neville, deal, will you?”

Neville dealt the cards. “Ok, but I gotta ask. How the hell did you get permission to have all that ...” He gestured at the tattoos. ”done? When did you start and ... and ...”

Harry chuckled as he gathered his cards. “How could Chichi-ue forbid me when he has the same. I really think he let me get started because he thought I'd give up the second I felt the first poke. I started when I was ten and they were completed ... about six months ago. They're spelled to move and grow with me. Anything else?”

Harry wanted to play one more round of cards, but everyone else wanted to look at his tattoos. He stripped off his yukata and stood up in nothing but a fundoshi. “Ok, ok. One good look, then keep your eyes to yourselves.” He held his arms out to the sides so that everyone could see the dragon writhing across his back, tail on one buttock. It started with the head on his right shoulder and pectoral, head pointed at his waist with the neck going over his shoulder, one seven clawed paw clutching the curve of his shoulder. It swooped across his back just under his shoulder blades and around his waist then ended with the tail on his left buttock. The one clawed paw that could be seen griped then loosened. The dragon writhed amongst a thick bed of peonies which budded, bloomed and died, revealing then concealing a swarm of koi which swam around fluttering their fins realistically.

Harry waited a few minutes while they looked then said, “I'll be really unhappy if anyone gossips about this. It's not something that is shared without permission.” He was pleased to hear them all promise not to tell anyone.

.

Harry looked at his watch. “It's Friday.” Hermione rolled her eyes in an 'I know that'. “Yes. Herbology first. So where's the classroom.”

Neville sounded so happy when he said, “The greenhouses.” that Harry didn't have the heart to reply, “Yes, of course.”

He just said, “And those are ... where?”

Neville led the way out a side entrance and down to the greenhouses. Harry was very skeptical about the whole thing.

He knew a bit about potion ingredients, especially the expensive ones. He was, after all, in charge of their 'import' business. But he wasn't all that keen on herbs and simples. He was more interested in the animal ingredients, particularly the renewable ones. So this was going to be ... different.

They all enjoyed the walk down to the greenhouses. The day was bright and clear, the air clean and crisp. The greenhouses smelled of earth and damp.

Harry was sure he wasn't going to like this class much. He had done all the gardening at his aunt and uncle's home from as young as he could remember. When he'd told his Chichi-ue this, he was only given gardening tasks as a punishment.

Neville took a deep breath then announced, “This house is too damp, the professor needs to adjust the vents. I think the wind direction is playing havoc with them.”

Hermione noticed Harry's surprised look and snarked a bit. “The Longbottom Greenhouses, inc. didn't become the best in Britain and second best in the world because of luck. Neville has been taking care of them since he was little.”

Neville nodded. “Yes, Uncle Algie didn't like doing it so he dumped it all off on me as soon as he could. And a good thing to. The man had a black thumb if I ever saw one. Come on, let's go in. I want to get a good bench.”

Hermione nodded. “Yes, this bench is nice.” She plopped her new book bag down on it and started asking for her materials. They popped to the top of the bag while she machine-gunned questions at Harry. “But Yusuke-kun, I thought that you would know all about Herbology. You said that your family was an importer. Why don't you know more about growing herbs? Why don't you sit down? Why do you insist on smoking when you know it's not good for you? Why ...”

Harry settled on Neville's other side, grinding his teeth to keep from snapping the girl's head off. Finally he said, “Granger-san, you are a babbling fountain of why. But you never wait for answers. Please be quiet.”

Hermione snapped her mouth shut for a moment before saying, “I'm sorry. But everything is just so exciting. I ... I need to know things. I don't know why, I just do.”

Harry nodded. “I understand. It's just that you ask some of the most personal questions then never wait to hear if I'm even willing to answer or not. So ... Ah.” he turned to look at the door. “Madam Sprout is here.”

Neville breathed a sigh of relief, the conflict between Harry and Hermione was rapidly coming to a boil, mostly due to Hermione's relentless questioning. Her need to know everything possible about anything that interested her or caught her attention in any way was annoying. He was just not sure that annoying someone like Harry was a good idea. He had a suspicion that Harry's personal filters were a bit ... different.

Harry was doing his best not to lose his temper with Hermione, he actually did like the girl. It was just; she was relentless, he'd rather be interrogated by okami, at least they could be put off by demanding a lawyer. He realized that he was going to have to establish some criteria outside which questions were not allowed. Otherwise, he was going to murder her.

Madam Sprout lectured on the plants they were going to study this term. She was particularly pleased to be able to present a Japanese bonsai tree. Harry eyed the thing for a moment then smiled to himself. One of the few things he did that was garden related, that he enjoyed, was bonsai. This tree was actually one of his rejects.

It was a particularly large spruce tree that he'd begun four years ago. He'd thought, in his arrogance, that bigger was better. In this case it was not. The tree was a bit unstructured, as it had not taken to shaping very well. It was a bit too symmetrical for true bonsai. He'd intended it be windswept but I just appeared deformed.

He nearly laughed out loud when he discovered that she'd acquired sprouts of Japanese Juniper so they could each have one. Harry wondered if she realized that a proper bonsai took years of constant attention. He did all his own wiring and shaping but left the daily misting and such to gaki.

His quiet snicker caught her attention. “Do you find something funny, Mr Potter? If you do, would you inform the class?”

“Yes, Sensei. It's just that ... bonsai take care every day. They need misting, wire adjustments, fertilization ... many things. Most of the students don't have the time ... or inclination, for caring for such a time intensive project.” Harry bowed slightly and sat back down.

Madam Sprout nodded. “Well, very good, Mr Potter. No, most students don't have time for the daily maintenance of a bonsai. House elves will do that for us. All we have to do is keep track of the weekly progress of our trees, and do the initial shaping, pruning and give instructions, in writing for adjustments and such. We'll also be studying tropical potions plants such as...” and she rambled off on a repeat list of plants that they were going to study. She finished by assigning a whole book and two essays. One due at the end of the week, and the other due at the end of the term. She said, since they were sixth years and responsible people, they could do with less hands on training and more in depth research.

Hermione looked very pleased at this, as did Neville. Several other students looked happy, but others groaned. What she meant was, there will be a lot of research and essays, not much greenhouse work. An easy class had just become rather hard. Neville was already planning his term paper. Hermione had known about this before hand and had already written up her proposal. Harry just noted that he needed a research project and left it at that.

Everyone was a bit surprised when Professor Sprout announced that the period was nearly over. “Now, everyone needs to turn in their essay and their proposal next hour. You're all excused.”

Neville stopped a moment to have a word with the professor about the vents while Hermione and Harry started back to the castle.

This led to the first real confrontation between Draco Malfoy and his two thugs and Miyamoto Yusuke.

Malfoy stopped Yusuke by the simple expedient of putting a hand on his chest. “Hang on a sec. I wrote to my father and he gave me permission to ... befriend you.”

Yusuke eyed the hand then said, with dangerous softness, “I believe you are touching me. Is that polite in England? Forgive me my ignorance, as I was raised in Japan.” His raised eyebrow and pointed look had Draco removing his hand quickly.

Draco eyed his two minions and jerked his head significantly. They took this to mean they needed to convince Potter that Draco was to be obeyed without question.

Harry, firmly in Miyamoto-kumicho persona, just waited to see what would happen next. One, he wasn't sure what his name was, reached out to grab him by the arm. Yusuke moved just enough that the grab missed. Then he struck, moving with cobra like speed, he caught the grasping hand and bent it back against the boys arm, cramping his wrist over so hard that the pain made him fall to his knees. He knelt at Yusuke's feet, holding his wrist and moaning while Draco gaped, mouth open.

“Now, see here!” Draco jerked his head again and the other thug moved in.

Yusuke just slapped him across the face. “Do not! I don't have the fucking patience for this.” the thug glanced over his shoulder at Draco, who called him off with a grimace. Yusuke turned to Draco and snarled, “Little boy, tell your father that you have made a mistake. I do not wish to know you.” He gave all three a cold look. “I have no patience with people who lack subtlety. I do not like having to get physical with your sort. Now, excuse me. I have someplace else to be.” He bowed slightly, a lord to a commoner, and walked off, lighting a cigarette as he went. As he smoked, he forced himself to calm down. He was used to dealing with other kumicho, other Japanese people, and he disliked this Western lack of manners. They had no subtlety, no manners and no tact.

Hermione had seen the whole thing and hung back, sensibly staying out of the way. It didn't hurt that Neville had grabbed her from the back and put a hand over her mouth, the only sure way to keep her quiet.

Harry tucked his Kumicho self away and remarked, “I really hate having to get physical with that sort. They're just children playing adult games. They're going to get really hurt.”

Hermione huffed irritably. “And I suppose you're better at it?”

Her scorn didn't faze Harry at all. “Of course I am, Hermione-chan. I trained at my father's knee. And, unlike some fucking blond bimbo we both know, I listened and learned. There's a time for threats and a time for caution. This is a time for caution and learning. Come, we better hurry or we'll be late to DA.”

Neville snorted. “Oh, we wouldn't want that. Professor Lockhart would be so disappointed.”

They hurried up the path, laughing as they went. No one noticed the glare aimed at their backs.

.

Draco snarled at Crabbe, “Well, that went well. A slap on the cheek and you're all done? Fine support you are. And you ...” He turned to Goyle. “You're just about as useless. Did the big bad hero hurt your little wrist? Merlin! I swear.” with that, he turned and stormed away. Leaving Crabbe to heal Goyle's sprained wrist the best he knew how.

This made them late to class, arriving just behind Harry and his friends. Lockhart gave them all a pass, this time.

After chuckling in an obnoxious manner he chided, “Of course, you must remember that a truly famous person is always on time. Unless he's not. Now. How many of you have read all my books?” A few hands went up, including Hermione's. “Excellent! Excellent! I thought I'd just re-enact a few scenes from one or two of the works I have been privileged to produce. Perhaps, starting with my latest, Ambling with Onnas.”

Harry blinked once then glanced at Hermione. He mouthed 'Onnas?' Hermione had to shrug.

Meanwhile, Lockhart was continuing his 'lecture'. “Ah, yes, I remember it well. The evil onnas were taking over this village. I was, of course, able to ...” He sighed at Hermione's wildly waving hand. “Yes, Miss Granger?”

Hermione surprised Harry by asking, “Professor Lockhart, what does walking around with women have to do with ... well, anything?”

Lockhart put on his worldly amused face and smirked at the class. “Onna's, my dear, are Japanese demons. Very deadly, very dangerous.” He glanced around the class room to see who was impressed. Most of the girls were cooing and giggling, most of the boys just looked disgusted.

Harry shrugged irritably, this man was really beginning to get on his nerves and it was only the second class. A week hadn't passed yet and he was longing for home. He was wasting an entire year, maybe two, of his education on this foolishness.

He broke into Lockhart's rambling with a coolly declared, “Onna are women. Oni are demons. And I doubt that you really met either.” He carefully picked up his books and papers. He was not about to slam anything, it was not proper behavior and his father would be disappointed in him. “Excuse me. I'll be leaving now.”

“Mr. Potter.” Lockhart tried to call him back. “Mr Potter! Return to your desk at once.” Lockhart preened a bit, he would gain a lot of 'face' when Harry Potter obeyed him.

He was to be disappointed, Harry just kept going, calling over his shoulder, “I really prefer the name Miyamoto-san.” He lit a cigarette as he walked. Harry wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do but he was going to do something. This man was a waste of space.

Unfortunately, he ran into Dumbledore. Dumbledore took one look at him and said, “Ah, Harry, not in class? Well, come to my office and we'll talk about it. Come along now.” His benign twinkly expression made Harry vaguely ill.

They walked together in silence, mainly because Harry pointedly ignored any comment Dumbledore made.

When they got to the guardian gargoyle, Dumbledore said, “Tim-Tam.” and led the way up to his office.

He got settled in an uncomfortably soft chair and accepted an offer of tea, but refused the lemon drop. He had no idea what that was, but wasn't in the mood for any sort of candy. He waved one hand over the tea, which glowed gold for a moment.

Dumbledore cleared his throat then began, “Mr Potter, Harry, if I may?” Harry just glanced at him over his cup. “Well, then, Harry. I know that you are very angry with all of us. I don't really blame you. Having your inheritance ... er ... threatened by the Ministry can't be pleasant. I do apologize for that. I tried to block it, but I couldn't get enough votes on my side in the Wizengamot. I actually missed that vote as I was in a general meeting of the ICW at the time. So ... um.” He coughed slightly. He wasn't getting the reaction he expected and was off balance. “I notice that you cast a spell over your tea. I assure you that it is not contaminated in anyway. And I notice that the spell was ... how did you do that, dear boy?”

Harry just shrugged. He wasn't going to give this old man any slack at all. He was supposed to be one of the most powerful wizards of the age, let him figure it out himself. “Ah, Dumbledore-dono. You appear to be a very wise man. I should think a man of your experience would surely need no explanation for how my magic works. It's very simple. As to being dragged here against my will. I am not happy. There are several things that I find offensive, but I am a simple person with simple needs. As long as these are met, I see no need for unpleasantness.”

Dumbledore beamed at Harry, this was going better than he'd expected. “I see. Well, I'm sure we can meet your needs. If you need something just tell your Head of House. I noticed that you've already made a few friends. This is good. I do believe that Ron Weasley would be a good friend.” He twinkled over his cup.

Harry just sipped his tea. “Yes, perhaps. Those who are worthy will be friends, those who are not, will not. I have my own criteria by which I measure friendship. If these are met, we will be friends, if not, we will not. And ... I will not tolerate some things. I hope we understand each other.”

“Ah, yes, I do hope we do.” He gazed at Harry for a moment. “Now there's another thing we need to discuss. I understand that you were taking lessons in ... weapons. And something called martial arts? We don't have such classes here and ... carrying swords and such is ... er ... discouraged.”

Harry smirked a bit, produced a cigarette, already lit, and said, “You don't mind if I indulge? Thank you.” And, without waiting for permission, proceeded to smoke. “Yes, I practice ninjado, iaido, shinkendo, hapkido, and taikwando. I don't need a teacher at present as I am refining my practice. I have a dojo, kindly provided by your staff. And a juku. I carry a ceremonial weapon or two, my father would be very disappointed in me if I left them behind. But I do not carry a sword upon my person.” He refrained from explaining that he carried them in mallet space. “I trust that you would not be instrumental in disappointing my father in any way?”

Dumbledore walked right into that one. “Oh, no, dear boy. Far be it from me to cause any friction between you and your ... er ... father. Please behave in a manner that would make him proud of you.” There, Dumbledore thought, that was a proper response. He wasn't getting between the boy and a man he considered his father. What could possibly be wrong with that?

Harry took another puff of his cigarette, making Dumbledore wince. “I thank you. My father has taught me proper manners. They are Japanese and not what the English might like, but they are my way now. I will strive to keep incidences of friction between me and other students to a minimum. As long as they do the same. Yes?” He exhaled the last of the smoke and took another puff. “If they do not....” he let that trail off on a cloud of smoke.

Dumbledore sighed, but returned, “Well, I do think reporting things to your head of house or another staff member is better, but I do understand the ... heat of the moment. Now, on to other matters ... more tea?” Harry refused with a slight bow, not nearly as deep as should be accorded the headmaster. “Well, I was wondering why you changed your timetable?”

“As was I. I selected my classes most carefully.” Harry waited for Dumbledore's excuse. He was sure there was one. Not that it would be very good.

“I thought to give you a bit of time to ... become used to your new environment.” A carefully bland expression accompanied this.

“Meh! My education is very important to me. Your curriculum is ... simplistic. No offense intended. But ... the Japanese people value education very highly and expect their children to be hard working and to accommodate themselves to the needs of their kazoku. I am considered a very good student and a proper kumicho in my kazoku. I am not used to having this amount of ... free time. I prefer to be busy.” Harry finished his cigarette and started on another, banishing the butt with a wave of his hand.

“I see. I am truly sorry that you feel ... put upon. If you can keep up with any of your ... outside school work via owl post. Please feel free. But ... perhaps you might consider this a slight ... vacation from your responsibilities?” Dumbledore was very carefully feeling his way. He didn't want to insult the boy, or make him angry. He was going to have enough trouble when the poor young man realized that he was the 'hope of the wizarding world'. He just hoped the pressure wasn't too much for him.

Harry glanced at the old man and was sure that he wasn't telling everything. He would write to his father again. He needed to know what these people really expected from him. Not that he was going to give it, but, how was he to avoid giving the wrong promises if he didn't have all the facts?

“Perhaps.” he allowed. “But then, perhaps I don't feel I need a vacation? Perhaps I enjoy my responsibilities?” Harry sifted through several remarks he could make and decided on, “I realize that there is more to this than meets the eye. I just hope that ...” He shrugged elegantly. “Secrets are all well and good. I just hope that the wrong secret kept doesn't sneak up to bite one, or both, of us in the behind. Excuse me. Lunch is beginning and I'll admit that I am hungry. Your cooks are excellent, and I do appreciate their efforts to afford me with proper food. And the bath is very nice too.” he got up, bowed and left. Leaving Dumbledore very satisfied with their conversation.

Harry too was satisfied, although for different reasons. He now had a feeling for Dumbledore. He was satisfied that the man was well meaning. But that didn't relieve him of the onus of his actions. Harry felt a bit annoyed, in a way. If he had been malicious, that would allow Harry to move against him. As he was not malicious, in fact, he meant the best; he'd have to be worked around. It was all a bit annoying.

Harry finished his cigarette and wondered vaguely if Dumbledore could be kept distracted with the ICW and the Wizengamot and kept out of his, Harry's, business that way. Letters were going to fly between Japan and England for a while.

.

Lunch was accompanied by a lecture from Hermione on respecting teachers and authority figures in general. Harry mostly ignored it, while Neville did his best to get her to shut up. It didn't work.

Ron gained friendship points by rather politely pointing out that no one was listening to her and that, if she didn't eat, she'd go to class hungry. “And you really don't want that, do you? I mean, runes and arithmancy? Really. And why you all decided to take such hard classes instead of the easy O's of Care Of Magical Creatures and Divination, I'll never understand.” And with that, he returned to a massive helping of shepherd's pie.

Harry eyed him for a moment, received a gormless look in return, and sighed. “Well, Ron, if you don't understand now, you never will. Why don't you just forget about it and move on?” He knew he sounded snarky, but really, the boy didn't have a clue. And beyond that annoyance, the barbarism he was surrounded with got on his already fraying nerves.

Ron knew he'd been insulted, somehow, but he couldn't figure out exactly how so he just grunted and finished his last bit of pie. “Fine then. I'm headed for class. I'll be in the common room when it lets out, if you want to play some chess or cards.”

He left and the others followed shortly thereafter, Hermione giving herself an upset stomach by gobbling almost as fast as Ron in order to eat then get to class on time.

Another round of Runes and Arithmancy went just as the first, with one exception. As they were sixth year, they were expected to complete a project combining both runes and arithmancy which would be turned in to both professors. Harry put his head together with both Neville and Hermione and they agreed that Hermione was to come up with the project, which would include an element of herbology and ofuda. Harry was leaning toward wards but he'd wait until he could consult with the others. They would probably yield to him, his force of personality practically guaranteed that, but he wanted their input.

They retreated to the juku and settled at one of the big tables to discuss their project. After a bit of lively debate during which Neville finally demanded, “How the hell can herbology and warding be combined? That just doesn't make sense.”

Harry produced an ofuda and showed it to both Hermione and Neville. “Here. If you don't use proper papers, an ofuda won't work as well. Ofuda are used for almost everything in Japan. I was thinking that we could produce a paper, made from herbs, that supports warding better. Something that won't eventually dissolve. Rice paper will degrade due to weather and such until the wards go down. Stone, wood and metal are much better but take a lot of preparation. Paper wards, wards that can be written and put up in seconds are so useful. Especially if they aren't ruined by rain, snow or other weather. See?”

Hermione reverently took the slip of paper from Harry. “Oh, my! A real ofuda? What does this one do?”

Harry took it back. “It's a grenade. I activate it and it goes off. I can time them easily. Want to see?”

Neville yelped, “No! Yusuke-kun!”

Harry smirked. “Oh, did I forget to say? I can also control the power of the explosion. But, if you don't want to do it here. We could take it outside.”

Hermione was eyeing the ofuda. “Naruto is real?”

Harry snorted. “No, but Baku is.”

Hermione shook her head and corrected, “Are.”

“No, is.” Harry shot back. “Baku is the kanji for explode, or close enough. The bigger you write it, the more powerful it is, unless you can really charge it. Which I can.”

Hermione just apologized, “Oh, sorry. My Japanese is crap. Just enough to read manga, with a dictionary.”

Harry just grunted, “Hn! Ok. If you get stuck, maybe I can help you read it. Which one are you reading now?”

Hermione just grumbled, “Not now. This is school work time. Ok?” she really felt a bit embarrassed to be reading manga not realizing that even adults in Japan did so.

Harry readily dropped the subject, sensing her embarrassment, besides, it was school work now.

They discussed the fundamental theory that Harry wanted to apply and decided it could be done. Neville was sure that a combination of rice paper, papyrus and oil would work well. He just wasn't sure which oil. That would be the basis of their work, finding out which of several oils would do what they wanted. Hermione also pointed out that she and Neville would have to research which runes would do the same thing as Harry's kanji.

After making their decision, Harry announced that, if he didn't get some fresh air, he was going to commit seppuku. Hermione winced but Neville chuckled a bit then said, “I wouldn't, if I were you. I'm not going to second you. Why don't you go grab Weasley? He loves to fly.”

Harry nodded. He had agreed, with himself, to give everyone here two chances. Ron was working on his second. So was Hermione, but Harry found himself liking the bookish, bossy girl. Neville was a good, solid friend; a bit stodgy, but Harry liked him.

.

As he was heading to the common room to see if Ron wanted to go fly the stairs below Harry moved. He heard a loud yelp and someone yelled, “Be careful, the sequence has changed again.” He decided that something was going to be done about those stairs, as soon as he could figure out what that something needed to be.

“Oi, Ron, want to go fly with me? I'm about to go stir crazy.” Harry waited a moment while Ron got up.

“Sure. Let me get a cloak. It's going to be cold in the air.” Ron was glad for the chance. He wasn't exactly sure why Harry didn't like him, except for overhearing his Mum, he didn't see any reason for it. So, never mind Dumbledore or his Mum, he was going to try to be Harry's friend.

They clattered down the stairs, jumping over the beginning of a move. Ron swore, but Harry just ignored it.

They made it out the door and into the front courtyard without further incident. Harry pulled his oar out of mallet space and started to mount it.

Ron stopped him, explaining, “We're not allowed to fly into or out of the courtyards. Some of the younger or less experienced flyers have hurt themselves. We have to walk down to the Quidditch pitch. Come on, it's just beyond the greenhouses.”

“Ok, some kids really need a permanent keeper. I know some gaki like that. They'll do anything stupid that someone else dares them to.” Harry shoved his oar back into mallet space, not seeing any need to carry it.

Ron goggled for a moment, then said, “Where'd it go? How'd you do that?”

Harry's amused expression set Ron's teeth a bit on edge, but he relaxed when Harry replied easily, “I call it mallet space. I learned it and some other great stuff from Ranma1/2. Very interesting reading, if you read it the right way. It was a real bitch to figure out how to actually do it. I still haven't figured out Miroku's Kazaana ... um ... wind tunnel. That would be great, but I'm not sure where the other end of the tunnel would wind up. It could be very dangerous to people. And I'd really hate having to restrain it with holy beads all the time.” He grinned at Ron. “So ... maybe it's not that good an idea after all.”

By that time they were at the pitch and Ron straddled his broom. Harry produced his oar again and they took off. Ron, noticing Harry's straddle stance, called, “Hey! I saw you fly up from the train. I thought you rode sidesaddle, like a girl.”

Harry gazed at him for a second then called back, “Only when I'm wearing good clothing and not in a hurry. Straddling ruins the crease in my trousers. See if you can keep up.” He mumbled, 'Ride like a girl? I'll show you.'

With that, he took off across the pitch, flying at a speed that made Ron whimper. Then Ron recovered himself and chased after him.

.

While Harry was flying with Ron, his Chichi-ue, his father, was gathering intelligence on every name Harry had sent him. The reports were taking him a bit longer than he liked.

He liked the rest of what he was learning even less. His recommendations were simple, straightforward and a bit violent. Miyamoto-oyabun also wrote letters to Yusuke about his management of the Potter fortune. His advice to his son was to let his people deal with the whole mess, just as they had done for the last few years.

He also included information on Neville Longbottom who had spent two weeks in Tokyo about three years ago. He was the source of some important potions ingredients, or rather, his family was. Their contact had been murdered not long ago, the murder made to look like suicide.

Malfoy was a player, minor, but rich.

He had no information about either the Grangers or the Weasleys, but he had people in England looking into it.

He also knew very little about the gumi called Death Eaters. His recommendation was to avoid contact until more information could be gathered. Miyamoto-oyabun had the feeling that the final call on them would be to cancel their contract, with life.

Miyamoto-oyabun was not pleased. He hated having his son so far away and he also hated not being able to get him the information he wanted. He sent another letter to the ICW. This one a bit more forceful.

.

Harry and Ron returned to the common room, pink cheeked and laughing. Ron declared, as they stepped through the doorway, “You are mental. I never thought I'd say this, but there's no way I could keep up with you.”

“I am perfectly sane and I have papers to prove it.” Harry put his nose in the air, looking astonishingly like Malfoy, until he burst into laughter. “Now, I'm starved and it's...” he glanced at a tempus. “two hours until dinner.”

Ron flopped down on a couch in and inelegant sprawl. “I'm hungry too. Flying always leaves me ready to eat a cow.”

Hermione looked up from her book to say, “You won't starve in two hours, Weasley.” then she stuck her nose back into her book.

Neville just laughed. Ron was always hungry, he had to admit that he was always hungry about this time too. Tea would be wonderful.

Harry sighed again. “I want some tea. I know you all do to. So... Service please.”

An elf popped in, glanced around then asked, “Young master wishes something?”

Hermione started to say something, then shut her mouth. If the elf thought it shouldn't obey Harry, it wouldn't.

Harry thought for a moment. “Could you bring me the things to make tea?” the elf nodded. “Thank you. And whatever is needed to make sandwiches.”

“Very good, young sir. Tippy is being back in a moment.” And the elf disappeared, returning a minute later with a huge tray with everything needed to make tea and sandwiches.

Harry glanced at Neville, who grinned and started assembling sandwiches. Harry poured water into the tea pot then dumped it into a waste bowl. He added tea leaves to the warm pot and poured in more hot water. While they waited for the tea to brew, Neville and Harry finished the sandwiches.

Ron watched with interest while the other two boys worked. Hermione had her nose so firmly in a book that only taking it away from her would gain her attention. When the sandwiches were ready, Ron reached out to grab one and got the back of his hand firmly smacked.

“Ow! What'd you do that for?” Ron's indignant exclamation caught Hermione's attention.

Harry spoke before she could. “Wait until you are invited, you oaf. Lady's first and all that. Right Neville?”

Neville nodded. “Yes, and Hermione should be asked to be mother.”

Harry looked blank. “Mother? Nani?”

Hermione settled on her knees next to Harry. “Mother in England doesn't only mean your female parent. It also means to play hostess. Unless you want to pour, as host?”

Ron butted in with, “I don't care who pours as long as I get tea.” He tried a conciliating look that mostly just made him look vaguely ill. “Please?”

Harry snickered, “Fine, fine. You won't starve before we get it poured. Hermione, if you would? I'll fix plates, shall I?”

Neville just settled back in his chair to wait. Ron pouted but grumbled, “I suppose so.”

Hermione poured tea and added sugar, milk or lemon as required. No one was surprised to see that she remembered how everyone liked their tea. Harry put the carefully constructed ham and cheese and watercress and butter sandwiches on plates, then handed them around.

They settled in with Hermione and Harry still kneeling on the floor Japanese style.

After a few moments, Hermione winced and squirmed around. “Ouch! Yusuke-kun, how do you kneel like this for hours? My legs are falling asleep already.”

“Practice. No one much, at least in my family, uses Western chairs. Also, it would help if you wouldn't bend your toes like that.” He grasped her arm firmly. “Here, let me help you.” He waved his hand and transfigured a zabuton out of something. “First, I don't know much of anyone who will kneel on a bare floor for long, unless it's a punishment. And sit sieza, with the top of your foot on the floor, not with your toes bent under. That's called kiza and can lead to all sorts of difficulties. Not only with your tendons but it's considered a bit ... untrusting. But you go into kiza before you ... there's no English word for this and the Japanese word doesn't begin to translate. If you're just going out a door or moving a few feet there's two ways to do it. Getting up and walking isn't one of them. You can walk on the balls of your feet if you have good enough balance or you can knee walk. Called Shikkō. Ladies usually don't shikkō they toe walk.” As he'd been talking, he was also helping Hermione get into position. “There. Better?”

Hermione smiled at Harry. “Yes, Yusuke-kun, much. Arigato.”

Harry picked up his tea cup and returned, “Dou itashimashite.” He took a sip of tea and sighed.

Ron just managed to keep his mouth shut by cramming half a sandwich into it. Who cared about all that stuff?

Harry noticed Ron's action and the expression on his face. The boy was a total barbarian. He returned to his tea with a frown.

He jumped when his elastic broke and his hair fell to cascade around his neck and shoulders. “Shimatta! Nani yo? Fucking elastic. Damn it, I just bought a whole pack and they're all like this.” He pulled another out of his pocket and swept his hair back into its customary high ponytail.

Hermione blinked for a moment then asked a bit hesitantly “Um... Yusuke-kun? Why don't you just use a charm?”

Harry finished banding his hair as he asked, “As I live with a bunch of yak ... men, and I'm not allowed near the women. Who's going to teach me?”

Hermione sighed, “I never thought of that. Ok, here's how it works.” She demonstrated the wand movements and said the charm. Then everyone knew why she didn't use it on herself. Her bushy hair looked even worse in a tail. “And that is why I never use that charm. I wish I knew a good hair straightening one.”

Harry glanced at her then at Neville. “So ... why haven't you researched one? There have to be sources you can trust. Yes?”

Hermione just sighed. “Probably, but try to find them up here in the wilds of Scotland. Madam Pince, the librarian, just sort of glowered at me when I asked her. Never mind that.” Hermione finished her tea and put the last of her sandwich aside. “It's nearly time for dinner, then we have to go to the juku and study. Yusuke-kun?”

“Yes, Hermione-chan?” Harry knew what she was going to ask.

“Do you really have to workout so much? It's getting in the way of your studies.” Hermione's hopeful look made Neville grimace.

“Yes, I really do. And it does not get in the way of my studies. I believe I'm actually a bit insulted by the suggestion that I would slack on any of my obligations.” Harry produced a cigarette and started smoking. He was upset that she would suggest such a thing. He was a good and dutiful son.

Hermione bit her lip then forged on. “But, Yusuke-kun, if you spend four hours a day on silly exercises, you're sure to get behind. The recommended ratio of revising to class time is four to one. So that's...” she stopped to make a calculation. “eight to twelve hours of outside time per class per week.”

Harry chose to take exception to this. “Not really. The ratio is per class hour, it does not include laboratory time. So potions only takes four hours as does Herbology. And, they're not silly. I am expected to be able to do certain things on demand. Cease badgering me about it. If I should fall behind in my studies, you may certainly say, 'I told you so.'” He glowered for a moment. “Although, I really wouldn't recommend it.”

Ron finished his collection of sandwiches just then and, swallowing thickly, announced, “Granger, leave off. Please. Picking on him isn't going to do any of us any good. And alienating him really isn't helping. Come on, Harry, we both better change before dinner. I'm all sweaty. I bet you are too.”

Harry seized on that as an opportunity to escape Hermione's hectoring. He got up and followed Ron up to the dorm.

Ron turned before Harry could get to his bed and asked, “You ok, mate? I thought you looked like you could use a break. She really does mean well.” He shrugged at Harry's questioning look. “I know. What's going on. She doesn't like me much and I don't blame her either. But I keep an eye on all my year mates. Dunno, just seems like something I should do. Especially her, and a couple of younger ones as well. The Creavey brothers ... they're the photo nuts. And that's what gets them in trouble.”

Ron continued with a stream of comments that Harry seemed to ignore. He wasn't, he just stored them away for later consideration. He let the babble run over him, calming his jangled nerves. He hated Scotland, didn't like Hogwarts, and wasn't best pleased with Hermione right now. Ron, on the other hand, was beginning to grow on him. Neville was a calm in a sea of idiots.

.

Dinner went well. No one challenged Harry. Harry kept his eyes on his food.

Hermione thought he was sulking or something, but he was actually thinking about his mission for the night. He needed to get a good look at the runes on the moving stairs. This was going to be a pain as every time someone tried to see the end of the staircase, the stairs stopped moving which brought a professor running. He'd found out that this was a not so safety feature meant to keep someone clinging to the end of the last riser from being crushed when the end reconnected to a landing. The only problem was, this usually put the victim out of reach of rescuers, unless they knew levitation spells like mobilicorpus.

Harry thought that the sixth and seventh years could take care of themselves and anyone nearby. That, however, did not help anyone under that year as they couldn't help themselves or each other and were usually in the way of anyone trying to get to the victim. Wizards did have a tendency to stand around, screaming, when something went wrong, getting in the way of rescuers by milling around like sheep.

When dinner was over they returned to the common room and Harry approached Ron. He bowed slightly then said, “Ron-kun, far be it from me to say something in a land whose customs I am unfamiliar with but ... in Japan it is not seemly for a man to eat as you do. Pray strive to keep your food within your mouth by speaking only when you have swallowed. Yes?” He pinned Ron with a steely glare. “Or I might find myself disgusted enough to ... take steps?” He smiled genially at Neville who was sitting nearby. “Is that the correct phrase?”

Neville just nodded, then returned to the book he was reading, vowing to be very careful of his manners for awhile. Ron gulped then nodded, he kept his mouth firmly shut, realizing that something his Mum had been telling him for years had come to pass, he'd finally made someone with real power notice his manners.

Hermione glanced at the non-confrontation then back to her book. “Yusuke-kun, I think I found what you want.” Harry ambled over to see. “Look here. Hogwarts: a History has information on every facet of Hogwarts. Here are the runes that make the stairs work. They're carved into the ends of the last riser on each section.”

Harry took the book and examined the runes carefully. He was sure that what he'd seen was different, somehow. He fished his brush pen out of his pocket and got a scrap of parchment from a scattered pile on the table. He copied the runes from Hermione's book and walked out the common room door. He was going to get a good look at those runes if he had to demolish a staircase to do it.

He wandered up and down the stairs until he decided on the slowest moving one then he sat on the newel post and watched as the staircase swung back and forth between two landings.

After twenty minutes of patient watching, he had the runes copied. As he studied the differences between the runes in the book and the runes on the stairs he realized that the differences were from wear. The ends of the cases had rubbed against the landings as they moved and meshed. In order to fix that, he'd have to re-carve, then recharge, the entire array. This was not something he was going to do. It was way too much work and moving stairs just weren't something he could see as being appropriate to a school with young children. A college, yes; a secondary school, no. Definitely not. Instead, he was going to stop the whole thing. No more moving stairs. He laughed to himself, he was sure that no one would be able to figure out what had happened. He put his things into a thigh pocket and went back to the common room then up to his dorm. He settled at his desk and stuck his nose firmly into his potions book.

He worked, reading ahead and taking notes, until Ron and Seamus thundered in. They crashed and banged around for a few moments then Seamus said something in Irish and rushed out again.

“Ok, so what is so important that you have to interrupt my studies like a couple of Visigoths?” Harry clutched his patience with both hands.

“Oh, sorry. Didn't see you over in that corner. Not that there's a whole lot of those in a round room after all.” Ron did manage to look apologetic. “Seamus wanted to show the twins some muggle thing he had. So we came up to get it. What are you reading?”

Harry made a face. “Potions. Snape doesn't like me, and I have no idea what insult I gave him. He's ... going to be difficult, and I don't need that.”

Ron wasn't very helpful, just rejoining, “Well, he's a prat, so what do you expect?”

Harry made a rude noise then said, “I expect him to teach. It is what he's being paid for, right?”

Neville, who had come up for his exploding snap cards, interjected, “Yusuke-sama, you are doomed to disappointment if you expect him to do anything you expect. He's as perverse as they come.”

Harry nodded. “I suppose I should make him a bit afraid of me then. I won't put up with him in my face all the time.” Harry thought about the ramifications of having a professor like Snape causing scenes at every turn. He was afraid that the man would do something unforgivable and he'd have to retaliate. He decided to give it a bit more time before he made a decision. Let Snape start whatever he pleased, or not start anything. Harry preferred to be proactive, but in this case reactive seemed a better path to follow.

Ron and Neville both gave him a strangely fearful look. Then Neville said, “Yusuke-kun, don't take this the wrong way but ... you really don't want to start anything with Snape. He's rumored to be a reformed Death Eater turned spy for Dumbledore. Not someone I would want to mess with.”

Harry thought for a second. “So, they let him teach? With that sort of reputation? Interesting. Not smart, but very interesting. As to Death Eaters, was he inner circle or outer? And how powerful is he really? Not his reputation, his actual power?”

Ron thought about Harry's questions for a moment. Neville got that worried look he sometimes got when he just knew his uncle was going to try something.

Ron spoke before Neville could gather his thoughts. “Well, they obviously let him teach so that's rhetorical. His reputation is exactly that, a reputation. Dumbledore believes in second chances. As to being a Death Eater. I asked my Dad about that in first year. He was a Death Eater at first but he got scared or changed his mind or something. No one's really clear about that. He was inner circle after awhile. And how powerful is he? No one is really sure. Potions don't require a lot of power, just subtlety, which he has a lot of. But his reputation is that he has a lot more power than he lets on. Flitwick respects his dueling. So now you know as much as I do.”

Neville gulped then said, “He's powerful. Uncle Algie was scared to death of him. He constantly told me that Snape would cut me up for potions ingredients and get away with it. He got really angry at him and hexed him. Uncle spent three weeks in St. Mungo's before they could reverse it. Best three weeks of my life that year.”

It took Harry a second to separate out the 'he's'. Then he decided that Snape had hexed Algernon, which was a good thing. However, the fact that it had taken a hospital three weeks to reverse it was bad.

“I thank you for your information. I'll keep your advice in mind. Now, I really want to finish this essay. Wouldn't do for me to be handing it in late.” He returned to his book.

Ron glanced over his shoulder. “Harry, that's not in English.”

Harry just shrugged. “Translation spell. I keep wondering why you all expect me to read and write English when I haven't done either in years. I had Japanese tutors, read and wrote only kanji, katakana, and hiragana. I had English as a Second Language instructors so I wouldn't forget how to speak English. But they didn't teach reading or writing, only conversational English. Now, go.”

Ron started to say something smart but Neville grabbed his arm and dragged him out.

His voice drifted up the stairs. “Ron, do not antagonize him. He's a lot more dangerous than he lets on.” Ron's mumble carried but Harry couldn't understand him. “I know. But, I know something, but it won't come.” The rest of their conversation faded away.

Harry returned to his book.

Time passed and the dorm went silent as the other boys found their beds. Harry continued to read, ignoring them.

When he was sure they were all asleep, Harry got up, turned down his lamps and left the room.

He made his way down to the common room and out into the central staircase. The grinding and thumping of the stairs as they changed positions was the only sound to be heard. Harry listened carefully for any sound that anyone was nearby but the noise of the stairs could, and did, hide much.

Harry glanced around then smirked a bit. This was actually going to be easier than expected. His researches, quietly done behind the screen of homework, had told him that all he had to do was deface the runes more completely. The worn one was still partially active. He began the ingei that would begin the concentration of ki needed to work his will. He kept the rune he wanted to destroy carefully fixed in his mind's eye. He also needed to limit the area of effect, just in case that rune was used in something else in the castle. It wouldn't do to carelessly damage some other spell or warding.

He felt the concentration of ki build to uncomfortable levels, this was the signal that it was time to release his spell. He curved his hands as if holding a ball then flicked them out as if he was throwing it. Darts of light flew from his extended fingers to each rune. The runes simply disappeared from their places with a flash of light. The stairs ground to a halt where ever they'd been when the spell was activated.

Harry examined the results of his spell for a moment, over half the staircases now ended in midair. “Well, that's not much help.” He looked the mess over again, trying to decide what to do.

Finally, he settled for arranging each case in the most sensible, to him, arrangement, which meant that there was a solid case up one side of the stair well with flights over to landings at the opposite side. He smiled to himself, let them all wonder what the hell had happened. At least no one was going to fall.

Stairs fixed.

Harry decided to make an early night of it and went to bed.

.

The next morning was Saturday, which meant that no one but Snape and Filch were awake early. Or rather, out early. McGonagall, Flitwick and Vector; as well as many other professors kept to their quarters for most of the morning, either resting or doing paperwork. They had breakfast in their quarters. The rest drifted in at their leisure.

Only, today, most of the professors were gathered at the base of the central stairs, looking up and around in puzzlement. The stairs had quit moving sometime in the night and no one had the faintest idea why. Nor would they ever. Every attempt they made to figure things out failed, in some cases, rather spectacularly.

Harry just excused himself, slipped by the clump of bodies and went into the Great Hall to have his usual breakfast of miso, rice, smoked fish and tea. He was very pleased with himself. His exercises were going well and no one else would ever fall off those damned stairs again.

 

.

A Thiarna Dia – Lord God! (He's Irish)  
okami – police (actually wolves, but the yakuza call them that. And things less complimentary)  
Thanks to WarmasterSamiel for the line "a man of your experience will surely need no explanation for how my magic works"


	10. Chapter 10

Harry occupied most of his day by sneaking out to explore the Forbidden Forest. He enjoyed his time there, but realized why it would be forbidden to most students. Acromantulas, aside, it was great fun.

He was well aware that he was expected to have tea with Professor McGonagall, so he got back in plenty of time to bathe; a proper bath, not one of those hasty things the Westerners insisted was good enough. He dressed in formal kamishimo, with hakama, hakama-shita and kataginu. He preferred the more narrow shouldered modern style, but the kataginu still carried the three mon of an older style.

Tea with McGonagall was all that he feared and hoped it would be.

Harry entered and sat in the chair McGonagall pointed to. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome. Sugar?” Professor McGonagall poured tea and offered the usual sugar, lemon, milk cream. She totally ignored his choice of garb.

“Plain, thank you.” Harry accepted the cup of tea, noticing that it was red instead of the green he was accustomed to. “Can you tell me something?”

“I can try.” McGonagall hoped it wasn't too personal.

“Why do the English call this tea black, when it is clearly red?” Harry had always wondered about that.

“Because the leaves are black.” She sighed, “Well, that was easy enough. Sandwich? I have water cress and butter or ...” She eyed the finger sandwich in her hand for a moment. “Egg salad on whole wheat. There's also biscuits and scones.”

Harry helped himself to cress and butter and a bite size scone topped with Devon cream and some sort of red jam. “Thank you.” He nibbled on the scone. “Mmmm. Red currant? Very nice. Now, I'm not much for politeness.” Harry lied blandly. “I'm much too straight forward for my father's comfort. What is your problem with me? What did I ever do to offend you? I'd really like to know.” He sat back and waited for answers. He knew he'd put her off balance by being so direct. He wondered if English children were more circumspect than this. Probably. They were probably scared of what might happen to them if they put adults on the spot.

Professor McGonagall did her best not to choke on her tea. This Harry Potter was nothing like the boy she had expected. She'd never been to Japan, never been out of Scotland more than a handful of times. But she could read and had read up on Japan and Japanese manners. These direct questions put her on the defensive, something she wasn't used to and didn't like.

“Well, Mr Potter, you are direct, aren't you? So ... My problem is ... you're not what I expected and that puts me out. Also, you refuse to use your real name. Potter is an ancient and honorable name. And that is what offends me. James and Lily gave their lives for you and you reject them. Rather bad mannered of you, if I may say so.”

Harry thought about this, trying to see it from her point of view. He had nearly finished his tea by the time he thought it over and came to some conclusions. He formed his reply carefully.

“Ah ... Sou ka. I see. Try looking at it from my point of view. I know nothing of my English family. I remember the Dursleys, of course, much as I'd rather forget them.” He told the professor all that he could remember of his time at the Dursleys, then told her about living in Japan; suitably censored. At the end, he said, “So ... why would I honor the name of people I never heard of. Even though they gave their lives for me, my true father gave me life. I prefer to honor him, but I will not fight over a name. Those who know me will call me what I like, not what is ...” He waved a hand. “And as to the name being old. The Miyamoto name is one of the first in Japan. That means that it's over 3000 years old. The house I was raised in has been on that site, in one form or another, for that long. I work in the family business already. I am ... well known in Japan. By the name Miyamoto Yusuke. So ... yes, I do prefer that name, but I will save my fights for other things.”

McGonagall had a lot to think about, but she put that aside for now and offered, “More tea?”

Harry accepted and talk drifted from one subject to another for a while. They reached a guarded understanding, Harry hoped so, at least. He took his leave with a bow. Professor McGonagall rose to escort him to the door.

“Well, Mr Potter, I think we understand each other a bit better. I'll try to ... be a bit more flexible. If you remember that I knew your parents very well. Good day to you.” She opened the door and watched him leave, wondering exactly why he gave her chills. It was something about his eyes, she thought.

.

Harry wandered around for a while, thinking about McGonagall and her expectations. She expected things that he could not and would not deliver. This made her angry, anger that she shifted onto him. He thought she might not be a very good head of house to him. He decided not to trust her much without more proof of her intentions.

He decided to find Neville, avoid Ron, and drag his friend off to ask more questions of him.

This was not to be however, Ron caught him before he could reach the outer courtyard.

“Harry, there you are. Hermione wanted to go over some of the first and second year charms with you. She thought you were a bit shaky on them. Tough luck, mate. She's relentless.” Ron didn't touch Harry, which was a good thing. But he did stay right by his side until he turned and went back inside.

Hermione was waiting for them in the juku. The second they entered, she started in.

“Yusuke-san! There you are. I've been thinking that perhaps you might need some practice with spells that you're not that familiar with. We can start with the spells you had trouble with, from first year through fifth, then go on to get in some practice on this week’s assignment.”

Harry glowered at her for a moment then snarled, “And you decided this all on your own? You never thought to ask me what I want?” he took a deep breath. “I think I should leave before I say something unforgivable. Excuse me.” he bowed and left quickly.

Hermione turned woeful eyes to Ron who just shrugged and said, “I told you. You're way too pushy. He's not going to put up with your shit, no matter. If you want to stay friends with him, I'd suggest you lighten up. If he needs help, be there; if not, don't nag him. I'm leaving too. No wonder you don't have any friends. Just sayin'.” He left, leaving her to cry on her desk.

.

Harry took a quick trip back to his dorm to change into BDU's, t-shirt and soft boots. He also tucked several senbon into his left boot, to join the tanto in his right. He felt very uncomfortable without several weapons to hand at all times. He cast a charm to hide the bulges, and went back to the common room. Just in time to hear Ron bragging.

“So I gave her a bit of home truth and she's still in that study room of hers, bawling her eyes out. Stupid bint, thinks I'm a messenger boy. Well, I told her.” He grinned around, not really noticing that even his twin brothers were looking at him with annoyance.

Ron had never understood that, while most of the house wasn't fond of Hermione, being truly cruel to her wasn't on the table. Not since the Terrible Twins had taken her under their wings.

No one was quite sure exactly why they'd done it. They weren't admitting that she was the source of some of their best pranks and a constant source of help in potions and charms. They were lordly seventh years, twice over; while she was just a fifth year. But everyone knew that she was under their protection. They'd pranked enough people to convince them of that.

Now, Harry heard Ron mocking Hermione and glowered at him. Ron never noticed but he felt a cold chill which made him shudder.

Harry just left, headed for the Juku.

.

Hermione sobbed into her sleeve. She just wanted to make sure that Yusuke didn't fail a class and have to repeat it, that would be horrible. But she wasn't that good at this sort of thing. She had told Ron to be sure to ask Harry to come see her, not order him around. She was sure Ron had done it wrong on purpose and, of course, the second she'd seen him, she thought he understood what she was about. Show her to trust that ginger menace for a second. Now she had lost a friend.

She stiffened when she heard, “Hermione-chan, please don't cry. I'm no good with weeping females. Now. Come. Sit up and talk to me.”

Hermione sniffled and took the tissue Harry offered. “I'm so sorry. I swear, I wasn't trying to be bossy. I told Ron to ask you to come study with me. But ... he's such a ... a ...” she let out a little shriek of annoyance. “A boy! Idiot! Prat! I'd love to give him one in the ... the...” she hiccuped, sniffled again and finished, “Well, you know.”

Harry sighed, “I think ... he was bragging in the common room. I think he did it on purpose. His brothers were eyeing him in a way that ... I think he is doomed to some nasty pranks from them. Now ... shimaimasen, Granger-san. Hai? No more tears?” He wiped the last of her tears away with his thumbs. “I was angry at ... I assumed that it was your idea to order me around. But I did leave before I said something bad. Yes?”

“Yes, you did. Arigato. It's ok. I should have asked you directly and in person ... but boys are so prickly about girls helping them. I don't get it.” She sighed heavily. “I'm sorry too. Ok? We're still friends?”

Harry chuckled a bit. “Yes, we're still friends. Friends fight and make up and fight again. We'll get over it. Now. What made you think I had trouble with those ... charms?”

“Well, Professor Flitwick made you do them twice. So I assumed ... yes ...” she held up a hand to keep Harry from saying it, “I know. Assuming makes an ass of you and me. So. Why did you have to do them twice?”

Harry grinned at her. “Because I forgot to use my wand the first time.”

Hermione's jaw dropped, her mouth open in a very unladylike way. When she shut it, he was half way to the door. She took a deep breath, he slammed the door shut.

“MIYAMOTO YUSUKE! YOU ARSE!” Hermione pelted after him, robes hiked to her knees.

She finally caught him down by the lake.

“Yusuke-kun, I'm going to smack you good. Wandless magic? Really? How? Can you teach me? More importantly, will you?” Hermione flopped down on the shore beside Harry, panting slightly.

“No hitting.” His grin was calm. “Yes, really. It's the way I was taught. Japanese people use different foci than Western people. I might be able to. I'm not a sensei by any means, but I'll try. We just have to find you a focus.” He showed Hermione his rings. “I use rings. Some people use ... well, all sorts of things. But I can also do magic without any focus at all. It's just a lot harder. So ... not mad at me?” he tugged a lock of her hair.

“No. Not mad. Are you? I know you were ... irritated at first. But ... I'm sorry that prat Ron ordered you around. He's just ... I don't know ... just ...”

Harry snorted. “Never mind him. He earned some friendship points right off, but lost most of them with that trick. I'll be nice to him because I have to live with him, but I don't trust him. Not like Neville. Neville is ... good. In a way that I can't explain.” He got up and picked up a flat rock. He skipped it across the lake, counting the splats.

Hermione stood up and did the same. She was comfortable with Harry in a way that she had never been with anyone before.

They skipped stones for a while, then sat down in a depression on the shore at the base of a huge old pine tree. It was nice and warm there, sheltered from the cold wind off the mountains behind Hogwarts.

They were just getting comfortable when Neville called, “Hi. Can I join you or am I a third wheel?”

Harry laughed. “No, you're not. We're just discussing Ron ... and the need to punish him thoroughly.”

Hermione filled Neville in on what had happened, with Harry interjecting from time to time.

When they were finished, Neville grumbled, “Well, damn. Trust me to miss all the excitement from being in the greenhouses. But ... there you are. So ... what are you going to do to him? Can I help? And, please don't kill him.” He laughed at their expressions. “Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't care if you kill him, but it'll get you talked about in the common rooms. You really should avoid that, if you can. So?”

Hermione choked back a rather hysterical laugh. “Oh, no, we wouldn't want that. Not at all. But ... Ron's an idiot. I don't really like him at all, no matter that I'm polite to him. So ... what can we do? We have to be careful not to get caught. Also, we have to do it in such a way that no one suspects us. That leaves any prank in the dorm out.” she trailed off, thinking.

Harry just lit a cigarette and settled back to smoke and think. Neville just drifted off, snoring softly.

Hermione finally grumbled, “Damn. I can't think of anything that won't point right at me, or you. We better wake Neville, it's getting on for dark.”

Harry gently poked Neville with his foot. “Neville-san, wake up. Time for dinner.”

Neville snorted once then rolled over. He stood up and shook out his robes. “Ok, I'm sort of awake. Dinner?”

Harry stood beside Neville and waved one hand, dismissing the leaves and sand from his clothing. “Yes, dinner. Come on.”

Hermione clambered to her feet last and grumbled at the mess her robes were in. She was wrinkled and had sand and something she was sure was snot on her sleeve. “Blast! I look like I was dragged through a hedge.” She started to clear up her mess when it all disappeared. “Oh, thank you, Yusuke-kun.”

Harry flicked the fan in his hand again, then shut it and tucked it into his belt. “Come on, we'll be late.”

Dinner was accompanied by the information that Professor Lockhart was starting a Dueling Club, it's first meeting to be on Monday after dinner. Neville sighed heavily, at Harry's inquiring look he said, “This is not going to turn out well. I just know it.”

.

Harry woke at three am. He'd stayed up, reading, as usual. His need for sleep was still limited. He remembered the physician that he'd been taken to several years ago. The man had done ETKTMS and said that Harry just didn't need that much sleep. He also said that trying to make Harry sleep when he didn't need too was just as bad as not getting enough sleep. Musashi had told Harry to stay up as late as he needed too but that he was to sleep himself out every night. He'd obeyed, why wouldn't he? His father only had his best interests in heart.

So he wondered why he was awake when he'd set himself to wake at five. Then he heard it again.

“Hungry! So hungry! Must find food. Where food?” The voice was very soft and seemed far away.

Harry decided to go find the hungry creature and see if he couldn't get it some food. He hated to think of anything being hungry.

It wasn't long until he ran afoul of Filch

It was unfortunate that the old squib touched him before he was really aware of his presence. Harry was too busy trying to pin down the strange voice he was hearing to notice him. His father would be displeased.

“Ha! I gotcha! You little bastards. Sneaking around, doing who knows what. Well, we'll just see about this. Dumbledore will ...” he stopped speaking when Harry pulled the tanto out of his boot, reversed their positions with a simple back flip and put the tanto to his unshaven throat.

“He'll do nothing. What? I don't attend detentions. And he's surely not going to expel me. So ... what is it that he is going to do? Or you? Do you really think you can force me? Pray try.” He pushed the old man away with one hand and tucked his knife away with the other. “I'm bored now. Good night.”

Harry went back to the dorm but didn't bother to try to sleep, he was now wide awake. He was a bit startled when a large, long haired cat jumped up onto his bed. He petted her for awhile then pushed her to the foot of his bed. “Lay there, if you like, Neko.” He pulled the edge of the coverlet up to cover her. She blinked at him for a moment then went to sleep.

An hour later the lynx like creature got up, stretched and patted Harry on the foot with one paw. He smiled down at her and said, “I'm awake, Neko. And up.” He ran one hand down her back, pulled her tail gently and slid off the bed. He decided to run an extra lap today and do several extra kata, he was getting a bit lazy. And it wasn't like he didn't have plenty of time.

After a heavy workout that left him sweating and panting, he meditated. He managed to calm himself once again. He really didn't like Hogwarts, it felt off to him. It's magic was too different from what he was used to. And he was still angry about being forced here against his will and he knew well enough exactly where to place the blame.

After a shower, he felt more or less human again. He dressed in his usual and picked up the cat to bring her down to the common room. She struggled a bit but he calmed her with a pat and a whispered, “No, Neko, I don't want you on those stairs. You'll fall and I'll feel bad.” The cat seemed to understand him, even though he spoke in Japanese.

Neville just gawked at them for a moment then stammered, “That's Mrs Norris. She's Filch's cat. She hates ... everyone.” His expansive gesture made Mrs Norris hiss. “See?”

Harry just petted her a bit then let her drop to the floor. “I don't know about that. See seemed nice enough to me. Maybe she just doesn't like ... you lot because you're too rough. Cats don't like a lot of noise and rough housing.”

Hermione asked, “Who doesn't?” then she saw the cat. “Oh, Mrs Norris. She's rather stand offish. Doesn't like Crookshanks much.” She opened the door and let the cat scamper past her. “Well? Come on then. I'm hungry, then, I have to research a few things before class tomorrow.”

Harry just gave Neville a telling look, before following her down to breakfast.

Harry asked Hermione what, exactly, she had to research as they walked down the now still stairs. “I'm researching Lockhart. He's really ... well, the timeline is really off as you know. But I'm trying to find out who might have actually done what he claims to have. All I get are, 'I don't remember anything' in various forms. Something's fishy and it isn't the sushi.” Hermione frowned at a portrait, which returned a vaguely insulted stare.

The settled in to eat breakfast but were interrupted about half way through by Draco Malfoy.

Draco had received a letter from Lucius which flatly told him to make sure not to insult Miyamoto Yusuke, whatever name he was using; and, if he had, to apologize at once.

Harry glanced at him then the box he carried.

Draco offered it to Harry, stammering, “I thought ... well, Father commands. Um ... this is for you. Oranges and apples from our hot houses. I hope ... you like them. Excuse me.” Draco caught a good look at Harry's jade green eyes. The look in them made him flee back to the Slytherin table, swearing to himself.

Hermione gazed after him then remarked, “Well, that was interesting. What the heck was his problem?”

Harry blinked for a moment then said, “I do believe he had a letter from his father. Perhaps he, Draco's father, I mean, had some good advice? I do hope so. We have had a couple of talks. Nothing much, but I'm not sure I like him.” He smiled sweetly. “And people I really don't like have a bad habit of having accidents with sharp things. Most unfortunate.”

Neville sighed, there was that feeling again. He was going to have to have a real sit down and think.

Harry opened the box and waved his hand over it. The fruit was safe, ripe and looked delicious. He helped himself to an orange and motioned to Hermione, Neville and Fred to help themselves. Ron reached for something but got his hand slapped for his troubles. George wandered by, raised an eyebrow at Harry; and, when he got a nod, took an orange.

Harry glanced at a pouting Ron then pinned him with an icy glare. “The next time you lie to me, even by omission, I'll cut your lying tongue out. Do you understand me?”

Ron gulped and nodded. Fred and George had already had words with him about setting Hermione up. Harry patted his cheek in a gentle way then wandered off. Ron took a bite of eggs without thought then sprouted boils the size of shillings. He whimpered softly but continued to eat. The boils would go away and he was very sure that any visit to Madam Pomfrey would only result in further retaliation.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at the noise then continued on his way. Ron wasn't off the hook yet.

Hermione swiped at her hair and followed Neville up to the juku to finish her studies. “I swear, Yusuke doesn't seem to do a lick of homework but he's done already. What is going on?”

Neville decided that this wasn't a secret so he just said, “I don't think he sleeps more than four hours a night. I woke up Tuesday at ... well, that would make it Wednesday, at two and he was at his desk, writing something. He's done with all his reading and his essays already. And none of it is due until next week. Don't fuss at him, it's not a good idea. He said something the other day about bushes or something. Seemed really mad.”

Hermione just sighed, of course, bushido. Harry would do his homework because it was his duty as a student to do it. She had questioned his honor when she implied that he wouldn't have it done on time. “Never mind, Neville. I have a book you can read about bushido. I think ... Harry's been trained as a samurai. We really better watch ourselves so we don't get him mad at us for what we might consider stupid things. But they won't be stupid to him.”

Neville just nodded. He'd heard a few vague things about that. A samurai would make a friend then keep him or her until death and do everything possible to assure their safety and happiness. He was very glad to have a friend like Yusuke.

.

Harry wandered the grounds, thinking about everything he'd learned. It seemed that the English Wizards had a problem with a Dark Lord named Voldemort. And there was a prophecy that he, Harry, Yusuke, whatever, was the only one who could kill him. He sighed. What the hell? They wanted him to do a job for them; and, instead of paying him, they kept his money? This wasn't going to fly. Not for a second.

He settled down and pulled writing materials from a pocket. He wrote a letter to his father, sealed it and pocketed it. He'd put it in his letter box and Gringotts would deliver it to his father as soon as possible. Much sooner than an owl could make it.

If these idiots wanted a job done, they were going to pay for it. Or it wouldn't get done. Simple.

If Voldemort was stupid enough to bring the fight to him? Well, that was another story all together. He absently fingered the tanto in his boot. He was going to have to re-evaluate what he carried with him and where he carried it.

He started back to Hogwarts, thinking about this and that on the way.

His thoughts were, 'Bombs, yes. I definitely should carry some C4 at least. Don't need detonators for that. And some prima cord too. My best ninjato and a katana. Wakazashi? Yes. Senbon? Or Kunai? Perhaps both. Baretta 93R, of course. A chain dart and a seven section whip. You can never have too many sharps. By the time he was back to the main doors, he had made up his mind. He was going loaded for bear from now on.

A trip to his room saw him tucking things into mallet space, his pockets and his hair. He was sure that no one would realize that the hair tie he was wearing was wrapped around prima cord. The C4 tucked into one pocket looked enough like clay that he wasn't much worried. Of course, he didn't have to worry at all, wizards wouldn't even know what C4 was.

The rest of the day went well as he stayed in the common room, visiting with other members of his house.

.

Monday classes were interesting in that Harry turned in the first of his homework. In Kanji, or hiragana or katakana, as was appropriate to the task at hand. Flitwick just took the work with a slight smile. He'd expected something like this and was prepared with a translation spell. He put the pages into Harry's folder without comment, smirking slightly at Harry as he did so.

Harry, for his part, just grinned at the small professor and settled back in his seat. Hermione huffed at his expression but kept her peace. She was treading on thin ice with Yusuke and had no intention of making the heavy step that would break through. Neville patted her on the shoulder in appreciation.

When Harry turned in his Transfiguration work, Professor McGonagall took one look at it and demanded to know what he was playing at.

“Sorry? I'm not playing at anything.” Harry gave his head of house a look that was clearly a warning.

Professor McGonagall was not a stupid woman by any means so, instead of throwing what is rudely called a wobbly, she snapped, “This is not in English. I'm actually not sure what it is in.”

Harry shrugged elegantly as he replied, “Since I don't read or write English, it's written in ... mostly hiragana, with some kanji and katakana thrown in as necessary.”

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, closed it, thought for a moment then said, “Of course you don't. What ... how much English do you remember?”

“Not much. I wasn't good in school because I got a thumping for cheating if I did better than Dudley. So?...” he thought for a moment. “About second grade in vocabulary and spelling. I'm not sure about anything else as grammar is completely different in Nihon.”

The professor gave up. This was not going to become a bone of contention between them. “Very well. I'll just have to ask Fillius for a good translation spell. Return to your seat, please.”

Harry grinned at Neville as he settled back in his seat. This was going much better than he'd expected.

Lunch went by in quiet conversation with Hermione being happy too just listen carefully for once. Harry was happy to see that she seemed to be thinking about her attitude more carefully. He was pleased by this and let it show.

Neville offered to help him with his English, with Hermione seconding the offer, he refused politely saying, “No, I thank you, I have no need for it outside of Hogwarts. To me it's just wasted effort. The professors can use a translating spell or fail me and I don't care which.” His expression became thoughtful. “Although, Father may have something to say about it. Still ... I think I'll take my chances.”

Hermione opened her mouth to harangue Harry about this attitude. She thought quickly then shut it. Harry gave her a brilliant smile and said, “Arigato, Hermione-chan. Think before you speak, then be silent if you can't be helpful. Well done.” Hermione couldn't help but beam at that.

After she gathered her thoughts, she asked a question. “Yusuke-kun, why don't you use a translation spell yourself?”

“Because I don't want to be here, I don't care about my grades; sacrilegious as that seems, and they need to do some of the work themselves. It's only proper after all.” Harry waited to hear what Hermione might say about that.

Hermione, for her part, had more to think about. She knew that Yusuke had been threatened into coming to Hogwarts, no one made a secret of that, especially after her friend made a point of telling everyone, several times. He seemed to like rubbing their noses in it. Also, why did a ministry full of Aurors, Unspeakables and other fully trained wizards and witches seem to think that Harry was the one to do their job for them. She didn't believe, for a second, that a prophecy was a good reason to put a sixteen year old on the front lines of a war.

When she finally spoke, all she said was, “Well, try to be polite about it. Ok?”

Harry's reply was a simple, “Hn.” a sound he'd copied from one of his favorite anime.

Hermione blinked then groaned, “Oh, shimatta, do not go all Heero Yuy on me.”

Harry corrected, “Yuy Heero. Tough.” then grinned at her, produced a cigarette and wandered away.

Neville looked confused but shrugged when Hermione said, “Anime, Neville, a Japanese ...” he quit listening about two seconds after his name and just nodded from time to time, saying, “Oh, ok.”

.

After dinner, most of the upper year students gathered in the Great Hall to witness the start of the new Dueling Club.

Lockhart came out and made a fool of himself. His duel with Snape took two seconds with Snape coming out on top with a smug smirk on his face.

Harry turned to the boy next to him and said, “Well, that's that. The club is over?”

The lantern jawed boy turned and said, in one of those 'Etonian' accents that have to be learned from a speech therapist, “Excuse me?”

Harry bowed slightly, “Miyamoto Yusuke, or Harry Potter, if you prefer. I was wondering if the club was done now. Since the faculty adviser is ... hors de combat? Is that the proper phrase?”

The boy nodded once. “Justin Finch-Fletchley. Yes, it is. I don't think so. Snape is still up and going. Bad show, though. Isn't the thing to show up a celebrity like Lockhart.”

Harry made a face. “Lockhart-san is a fraud. He can't be in two places at once but he claims to have been. The events in books two and three seem to have happened within days of each other, on opposite sides of Europe. Alternately.”

Justin looked a bit outraged at that. “Oh, are you sure?”

Harry shook his head, making the end of his high ponytail whisper against his shoulder. “No. But Granger-san is. I'm satisfied.”

“Oh, well, if Granger says something, it's usually right. Irritating sort, she is. But ... what's going on now?”

They returned their attention to the dueling platform where Lockhart was arguing with Snape. Lockhart gestured to Draco and Snape shook his head. He gestured to Harry and, when Lockhart nodded his approval, also to Flitwick. The professor of Charms smiled in a rather feral way and nodded his head.

“Well, since the last duel was such a fiasco, Professor Lockhart has agreed to place me in charge of the rest of this meeting while he ... recovers his ... composure. So ...” Snape smiled at the group, something that was rather frightening. “we have agreed that Mr Potter should face Professor Flitwick while I do a commentary. If you will, gentlemen?”

Justin made a faintly despairing face. “Oh, dear, you're in for it now. Professor Flitwick is just a little fellow but he's a past master at dueling. Held an international championship until a couple of years ago. You can only win ... I believe it's eight times before you have to retire for ten years. He was not in a good mood all that year, from what I've heard.” He patted Harry on the back. “Just do your best.”

Harry was happy to hear this. He had been sure he knew the small man but he couldn't remember where from. Now he remembered. He'd never actually seen him up close, but the second year he'd been in Japan his father had taken him to see the International Dueling Championship. He'd seen Flitwick fight his last duels and announce his retirement.

He mounted the platform and waited. Snape approached him to ask, “I want to know that you are willing to participate in this. Lockhart ...”

“Is an ass, Snape-sensei. He ... we will not discuss him, please. I am willing. If Flitwick-Kyooju is willing. I don't want him ... coerced either.” Harry glanced over Shape's shoulder at the other professor.

Professor Flitwick just nodded at Harry. He was willing; interested, in fact.

So it was that Miyamoto Yusuke faced Fillius Flitwick in a duel. It certainly wasn't Harry Potter on that platform. At least, not the Harry Potter that everyone seemed to think they knew.

Harry bowed to his opponent, pleased to see that Professor Flitwick didn't take his eyes off him when he bowed back. Harry was glad Flitwick knew that it was disrespectful to take his eyes off his opponent.

They started by feeling each other out. Flitwick cast a tickling hex, very over powered but still a 'safe' start. Harry blocked it with an ofuda, flinging the paper to intercept the charm. The resulting explosion was minor and a rather pretty pink. Flitwick smiled happily.

Harry then replied with a jelly legs jinx that Flitwick jumped over. And the battle was on.

Most of the students and some of the faculty couldn't really keep track of what was going on. All they could really see were flashes of spells being exchanged and Harry and Flitwick jumping, rolling and diving. Snape kept up a running commentary on what he could see, or as much of it as he could keep up with. Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, Flitwick got in a lucky stunner and knocked Harry out of the air. Even Harry was impressed when he enervated him before he could hit the platform, giving him time to flip in the air and land on his feet.

He staggered a bit, still dizzy from the stunner but he landed in a defensive posture, eyes on Flitwick. Flitwick bowed to him, giving him the bow of equals. Harry bowed back.

“Well fought, Sensei. Thank you for a great bout.” Harry started toward the smaller man to shake hands. He stopped cold when a voice cried out, “Serpensortia!” and a snake suddenly appeared between him and his opponent.

Flitwick started to cast some spell but Lockhart interrupted him. “I've got it.” He extended his wand in a theatrical gesture and shouted a spell. It didn't do much good as all it did was blast the snake to the rafters. It dropped back to the platform, landing heavily.

Now, as anyone with a brain knows, snakes hate flying, they'll climb trees but that's about it. This snake landed pissed off and ready for anything. He darted from one side of the platform to the other so quickly that only Snape, Flitwick and Harry could keep track of him. There were a few screams but Snape's acidic, “Yes, let's all upset it even more by screaming.” quickly shut them up.

Justin Finch-Fletchley suppressed the urge to scream like a girl, the snake had just zeroed in on him. He was now faced with a very unhappy cobra, hood open, ready to strike and all he could do was stare at it. If he moved for his wand, it would strike him, right in the face. He froze in place.

Harry, meanwhile, was trying to decide whether to hex Lockhart to bits or rescue the boy in the Hufflepuff robes. He decided that the boy was more immediate, he could always hex the professor later.

He turned to the snake and said, in Parseltongue, “Do not bite him. He is no threat to you. Come to me.”

The snake turned to Harry and hissed, “What? Why am I here? What is going on?”

Harry just walked over and picked up the now very confused snake and replied, “Big play fight. Someone got a bit too ... wanted to win too much. I'll send you back home now. Good hunting.” He tapped the snake with a finger and it just disappeared with a soft pop.

He looked up to see everyone staring at him in a mix of fear and/or horror. He was more or less used to this sort of behavior so he ignored it in favor of asking Justin, “Oi! Fitch-Flechey you ok?”

Justin snatched his attention back from the edge of terror to reply, “It's Finch-Fletchley. Yes, I'm fine. Um ... what did you say to that snake?”

Harry shrugged, grinned and said, “I told it not to bite you because you weren't good to eat.”

Justin snickered, a bit hysterically, it's true, “Ok. And, I think I'm a bit too big for it too. Thanks awfully. I really wouldn't like to be bitten.”

Harry hopped off the platform to pat Justin on the shoulder. “No, you really wouldn't. You'd have been really sick, even with a bezoar. Come on. Let's sit down a sec. You look like you need it.” He tugged at Justin to get him moving.

That was when everything seemed to begin to move again. People shouted, girls screamed, professors shouted orders. Ron Weasley proclaimed to anyone who would listen that Harry was Dark because he was a Parslemouth. Hermione just ordered tea for Justin while Flitwick started getting those who were not directly involved out of the Great Hall.

Snape, true to form, took his ire out on Lockhart, sending him to the right about with a snarky, “Well, it does seem that you've cast the cat amongst the pigeons, you idiot.”

Lockhart just whimpered, he was well aware that the glare Snape was sending him implied future pain. He didn't see the look that Harry cast his way or he'd have wet himself. He scurried about, issuing contradictory orders and getting in the way until he found himself faced with Professor McGonagall. She eyed him for a moment then snapped, “If you can't do something useful, get to your quarters. I'll deal with you later. Now, go.” He gratefully sneaked out of the Great Hall, leaving chaos and confusion in his wake. In other words, business as usual for him.

Harry snarled at a Chinese girl who got in his way, she 'eeped' and scurried away. Justin clung to his hand weakly.

“It's ok. You'll feel a bit weak for a few moments. It's just adrenalin crash.” He took the cup of hot, sweet tea the house elf offered and pressed it into Justin's hands. “Drink this.”

Harry stood up then and looked around. Snape was snapping orders at the elves while McGonagall was directing the students who'd been far enough away that they were still calm to leave for their common rooms. He patted Justin on the shoulder, motioned to one of his nearby housemates to take over and started helping to control the chaos.

With Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick and Harry working with the prefects who were present and Hermione, they finally got everything sorted out. All the hysterical students were given a calming draught by Madam Pomfrey or Professor Snape, the rest were sent back to their common rooms immediately. The hysterical ones were settled at the Gryffindor table to drink tea and calm down before being sent to follow their fellows.

Then Snape rounded on Harry, “What the devil were you thinking, you stupid boy?” Harry pulled a cigarette out of his case and started smoking. Snape eyed the thing with narrowed eyes but stuck to the point. “Well? Answer me.”

Harry shrugged, “I would. If you would please to explain to me what has you so ... in a temper.”

“You're a Parselmouth. Not something that is much accepted. I would have thought you would be smart enough to keep such a thing to yourself. It seems I was mistaken.” He sneered at the stupid boy.

Harry just looked at him for a moment then replied, “Since it is much different in Japan, where snake speakers are respected for their ability to catch snakes without getting bitten, I never considered it a problem. That only shows how much better Japan is than this cold and stupid place. You're all barbarians. Excuse me.” and with that, he took Hermione by the arm and walked out the door.

Hermione just sighed, shoved her hair out of her face and said, “Well, that's a nice pickle we're in.” Neville joined them. “Neville.”

Harry just smoked as they walked out into the outer courtyard. After they got out, Harry conjured seats with a wave of his hand and settled in one. “Hermione-chan, I swear, you're going to wake up with a haircut if you don't do something about that mess.”

Hermione sighed. “It's awful, I know, but I don't know any spells, charms or anything that will tame it. Not even Sleekeasy does the trick.”

Neville, rather hesitantly offered, “Well, I've got some stuff that I use. It's easy to make. Gran does up a double batch before I come to school every year. You just brush a dab through ... well, in your case, a bit more than a dab ... but it really works. I'd look like a hedgehog without it.”

Harry just held out his hand for the container that Neville held up. “Kudasai. Hermione-chan, I know you have a brush in your pocket.”

Hermione handed him the brush and submitted to Harry's attentions. She was as shaken as she'd ever been and the idea of having Harry do something with her wild hair just struck her as calming. Neville hid his amusement and watched as Harry worked a bit of the pomade through Hermione's hair and brushed it until it was smooth and wavy, instead of kinky and wild. He did it up in a neat tail at the nape of her neck and smiled.

“Well, that looks a lot better. Neville-kun, could you ask your Gran for more?”

Hermione interjected, “I'd be pleased to pay?” Neville glowered at her. “Or not. I'm never sure when to offer and when not.”

Harry just took the cigarette he'd been smoking out of the corner of his mouth, crushed it and said, “Offer twice for politeness sake then say thank you and be happy for the gift. Then you have to come up with something nice to give in return. It's just giri at it's best. Now. I'm exhausted and hungry. Lets sneak up to the juku and pig out on junk food. The elves will provide, I'm sure.”

So that's exactly what they did.

.

Harry eyed the last cake on the plate. “Either of you two want that?”

Hermione shook her head, enjoying the brush of her neat tail against her shoulders and back. “No, but I need to tell you something.”

Harry offered the plate to Neville who just shook his head over his teacup. “Ok. What is it?”

“I know who cast that spell. And, I know that Dumbledore won't do a damn thing to him, nor will he let anyone else do anything. Malfoy gets away with murder; literally, I bet.”

Harry just smiled serenely. “Oh, so Malfoy-san ... yes. Well, don't worry about him. I have my own plans for him and a few others.”

Neville sighed, “Good. That lot are all bad news. Death Eaters in training and those fools aren't limited to Slytherin, no matter what anyone thinks. That Ravenclaw ... Johnston, or something like that. I bet he has the mark already. Seventh year. Hermione? You remember him?”

Hermione nodded around a mouthful of lemon tart. She swallowed and cleared her mouth with a sip of tea. “Yes, I do. He and Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle and that black kid ... I don't remember his name. Well, they were caught going after that first year who quit. Went back to the muggle world, got obliviated and everything. Dumbledore didn't do much but give them detention and tell them 'naughty'. Someone should do something drastic.”

Neville nodded, “But ... who and what? I mean, really, I'd just like to see Johnston and Mathias out at least. No one is going to do much to Malfoy and who really cares about Crabbe and Goyle, they're just dumb muscle after all.”

Hermione sighed, “Well, true, but even dumb muscle can be dangerous under the right circumstances.”

Harry drifted away from the conversation into his thoughts. He had several things to take care of now. He knew who was a bully now, and who was not, for the most part. So ... the next few nights were going to be busy. He wished that he knew some way of detecting this dark mark thing but, in order to figure that out, he had to have access to someone with it. Someone he could experiment on without repercussions.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Hermione's voice, “Yusuke-kun! Wake up, you gaki. I was asking you a question.”

He replied without thinking, something that his father would be very displeased with, “I'm not a gaki. Or even a fuku-honbusho.” He blinked, “Ano ... what was it you were asking?”

Hermione blinked at Harry owlishly for a moment while Neville frankly goggled. “Oh ... um ... never mind. I was just ...” She waved her wand then jumped. “Oh, fudge, look at the time. We better hustle or we'll be out after hours. Blast!” She scrambled her notes and books off the desk top, distracting Harry then rushed both boys out the door.

Neville refrained from comment, obediently running along with Hermione. Harry followed them, amused and doing his best not to show it.

.

Harry went ahead of Neville up the stairs. Hermione took the opportunity to grab Neville by the arm and hiss, “I need to tell you something important but ...” Harry called from half way up the stairs so she managed, “Just don't make him mad. Really.”

Neville gazed after her for a moment before turning to follow Harry.

“What was that about?”

Neville shook his head, “I have no idea. Sometimes that girl is totally mental. Why would it all of a sudden be so important that I not make you angry?”

Harry narrowed his eyes at Neville for a moment. “No idea. But it really is good advice. Come on, we better get to bed. You're drooping.”

Neville got ready for bed and crawled between his sheets. Harry, as expected, got into bed but sat up with a book.

The rest of the dorm was asleep when Harry's mailbox let off a soft ping. He got up and opened it. He was pleased to see three letters for him; one from Genji, one from his father and one from one of his brothers.

He read the gossip from Genji with amused interest and the cautions about baka gaijin as well. The letter from Miyamoto-san had angered him, not because of any fault on his part or that of his father, but because of the information it contained. The Western Wizarding World was in a mess and he was expected to fix it. This he knew. The part that annoyed him was that they expected him to do it, for free. This was not happening, as his father was quick to assure him. Negotiations were underway. He smiled at that. The last letter from Miyamoto Ichigo was more useful. It was a nice run down of who was who. Who would be useful, who would be a problem and who was just there. It also advised him as to how to go about dealing with the people who needed to be dealt with and who to deal with first.

Yusuke had never disobeyed Ichigo-san when he gave 'advice' and he wasn't about to now.

And the first bit of advice was exactly what he wanted to do anyway, clean up Hogwarts. So ... he'd start with the softest targets, the non-Slytherin problems.

He still wished he knew some way to find out whether they had a mark or not. He didn't think, 'I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours.' was going to work.

.

Severus Snape was on the horns of a dilemma. But not for long.

He rounded on his godson the second they entered his office. “What the devil possessed you to use a borderline dark curse on Potter? Not only that but also one that's a trademark of Death Eaters. You fool!.”

Draco sulked. “What's the problem! I'll just send Crabbe and Goyle after him. He'll cave, just like all the others. Perhaps we can even turn him?”

That was when Snape finally connected all the dots. “No. He's ... I can't believe it. You stay away from him. He's no one to mess with.”

“Pah! He's just some slant-eyed nobody. Who cares about Mu ... what's his name.” Draco fluttered a hand in what he thought was a negligent manner. It really just served to make him look effeminate.

“Miyamoto Musashi. And ... Oh! Damn! Merlin's balls. How could I have been so ... You stay away from him! You hear me? Completely. He's not some soft target. The way he speaks.” Snape made his decision at that moment. He was not involved in this anymore. Voldemort could kiss his ass and Dumbledore too.

Draco was as arrogant as his father, with a lot less reason, so he continued to speak. “What do you know of Japan anyway?”

“Not that much. I went there once, on business for the Dark Lord. I didn't get anywhere much. I ran into a group called yakuza. They talked Japanese like Potter does. And they are not a group that I want to be on the wrong side of. Their Ninja warriors make most Death Eaters look like children. And Miyamoto is the Godfather of them all. He's called something like the Hidden Lord or something. I'd advise you to keep your head down and your mouth shut. Now ... get out.” Snape shoved Draco out the door and slammed it.

After thinking for a while, he sat down with a tumbler of Firewhiskey to try to figure out how to cover his ass with three very dangerous people; two of whom had access to him on a daily basis.

.

Harry thought carefully about all he needed to accomplish. He really needed to find out how to detect the dark mark. After several moments thought he wrote another note to his father, requesting help then settled to finish his studying.

After he finished his chapter of History of Magic he added the problem of Binns to his list and went to sleep.

.

Cornelius Fudge eyed his aid with a very jaundiced eye. The letter from the ICW had been short and to the point. They were not allowed to freeze Harry Potter's accounts. They were not allowed, prophecy be damned, to force the boy to fight in their civil war. The aide suggested that they deal with the second problem, perhaps that would fix the first.

The second problem was a very short letter from the Emperor of Japan. It said, “Beware of the anger of Miyamoto. We are.” it was signed and sealed by the emperor himself.

“Well, shit. How the hell are we to control that boy if we don't have any leverage?” Fudge looked as put out as he possibly could.

Percy Weasley knew where the gold was, as the Goblins would say, so he just announced, “Agree to whatever Miyamoto demands. If we need that snot that badly, we'll just have to suck it up and pay.”

Fudge subsided, grumbling, but agreed that they would allow Potter access to whatever his parents allowed in their wills. Weasley made notes, added to them himself and went away. His notes were quite simple, keep the boy happy.

When he received the letter from Miyamoto Musashi later that day, he just signed off on it as the senior secretary to the minister. The man wanted a face-to-face meeting with the minister as soon as possible. He sent back that they could meet the next day at 2pm. Percy thought that this would put the man off for a bit. He was wrong. He received an acknowledgement within the hour.

.

Miyamoto Musashi was ready for the Minister of Magic. In fact he was ready for the whole ministry, building and all.

He had portkeyed into the main vestibule of the building, accompanied by his youngest son, Masa, and Genji, his wakagashira, as well as a dozen senior kyōdai. They were all heavily armed, muggle and magical. He intended to put the screws to this idiot Fudge, hard.

The group gathered carefully, putting Musashi-sama, Masa-san and Genji-san in the middle. Musashi because he had to be protected and Genji because he was Musashi's shield, his Tate. If there was trouble Genji would step between Musashi-sama and danger. Masa-san had his own Tate.

They walked with purposeful strides to the elevators and got into two. One contained Masa-san and six kyōdai the other held Musashi-sama and the other six. The Tate stayed with their boss. A senior clerk scurried to get into the car with one group. He turned away at the glower aimed at him over a pair of sunglasses and was glad to get away with nothing more.

The intimidating group made their way to the Minister's Office with a minimum of fuss, on their part. For the part of everyone else, they got out of the way. These men were not only magical but also very strongly so. They radiated magic and menace like radiators in mid winter radiated heat.

When they entered the outer office, without knocking, Percy Weasley was at the desk. He'd made sure of that. He was eager to curry favor with the minister but one look at these men made even Percy decide that personal safety was more important than currying favor.

He just opened the inner door and got out of the way.

One of the kyōdai entered the inner office and announced, in a loud voice, “Oyabun Miyamoto Musashi-sama is here.”

Everyone entered the room. The kyōdai took positions around the room, standing at ease with their hands clasped in front of them. Genji stood in front of the door with his heels against it to keep anyone from coming in without knocking.

Musashi-sama accepted the seat that Fudge offered him while Masa-san conjured another for himself as Fudge rudely didn't offer. Masa-san's Tate stood behind and between the chairs. Musashi-sama's Tate stood directly behind him.

Fudge eyed all this with disfavor and asked acidicly, “Is all this really necessary?”

Musashi-sama just smiled benignly and said, “Of course it is. People of power must be protected. You understand this, being one such yourself. As is my third son.” He then rested his elbows in the arms of his chair, folded his hands at chin level and waited.

One of the kyōdai smiled to himself. This was going to be good.

Fudge tried to hold out but the combined weight of seventeen yakuza, all high ranked in one way or another was already making him sweat after two minutes.

.

Remember, with this story, Google is your friend. I'll provide what definitions and such that I have, but for the kimono, Google Images is very good. (FF will not allow links. LJ does.)

Kataginu is the vest thing that is worn over a hakama.  
http://www.followingtheironbrush.blogspot.com/2008/03/kamishimo-samurai-court-wear.html

Mon are the round crest. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/58378/Japanese-mon-or-heraldic-emblems-the-mon-is-worn-as

Senbon – throwing pins. Usually just a length of steel with a point at both ends. Very deadly.

Tate is pronounced Ta-Tay


	11. Chapter 11

Fudge broke after four minutes. All the yakuza sneered at him for that, the weakest Japanese had taken ten.

“Yes, well. As to why you're here...” Fudge stopped to sip some tea, completely forgetting to offer his guests any.

Masa-san snorted, but kept his peace. Musashi-sama took the opportunity the pause gave him to take control of the meeting, control that he never lost.

“Yes, why we are here. You invited us here to discuss my son's accounts.” The kyōdai who had been brought to translate didn't bother to move from his position against the wall. He just shouted at Fudge. This was a strange and absurdly disturbing counterpoint to Musashi-sama's soft voice. After waiting politely for the translator to finish, the yakuza oyabun continued, “The ICW has seen fit, in its infinite wisdom, to refute your claims on all my son's property, monies and personal possessions, as well as those of Sirius Black, his godfather. I wish to know, for what reason has this man been held without trial for so long?”

Fudge spluttered. “What? Why? ... That is ridiculous. The man betrayed the Potters to You-Know-Who.”

Musashi-sama listened to the translator then replied, “No, I don't know who. I would like a copy of the pre-trial transcript, if there is none, then I want access to the man himself. If he is guilty, he will learn the error of his ways. If he is innocent? Well, we'll deal with that, too.”

Fudge didn't see any reason to deny the man this sop, it would make dealing with the rest of this mess easier. But Fudge didn't think beyond the needs of the moment any more than he had to, so it never occurred to him that giving in on this was the wedge in the doorway to further concessions.

“Ah, ano ... thank you very much for that. I am eternally grateful for your kindness.” Musashi-sama smiled at Fudge, a smile that eased the harsh planes of his face but didn't reach his eyes. “We are both men of the world, we understand compromise and debt. Yes?” Fudge winced at the loud voice of the translator but nodded. “Good, good. Now. What we have to offer is this.” Musashi-sama outlined what they would offer and what they expected in return.

Fudge, for his part didn't see any problem with providing the yakuza with whatever information they wanted on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, in fact, he gave the Oyabun a signed letter to 'whom it may concern' ordering them to cooperate completely in supplying information to anyone bearing this letter with any information on any person they asked about. He never realized the comprehensive nature of the letter that Masa-san dictated. He actually wrote it out in his own hand and sealed it while they waited. Genji rolled his eyes in disgust.

“Then there are the school fees. Yusuke does not wish to attend your Hogwarts, so I don't feel that he should have to pay for attending. We're both smart men, aren't we? If you wish for him to do something for you, you need to establish an obligation. Don't you agree?” Fudge nodded, this was something he could understand. Applying the wrong sort of pressure to some young snot wasn't going to get them anywhere, he'd just bull up and refuse. “So ... In order to establish good feeling on his part, perhaps a bit of a treat of some sort? From you to him? You see? Give him the illusion of freedom, while ... keeping him on a leash? My son is a good boy but easily insulted. I've found it a great deal easier to let him run until he's tired, then show him what is wanted. He's usually most ... accommodating.” Musashi-sama wondered if Fudge just liked shit, or couldn't recognize it when he saw it. He was eating up this silliness with a spoon.

“Of course, I see. Perhaps some sort of permission to leave the school at designated times outside of Hogsmeade weekends? To visit his properties, perhaps? Or Diagon Alley visits on Hogsmeade weekends? That would be acceptable, right?” Fudge saw this as a way to ingratiate himself with both father and son by making it possible for Musashi to take Harry on visits to his family home, Diagon Alley and so on. “I'll write that out, shall I?”

Musashi-sama nodded over his folded hands. “Yes. That would be wonderful. Perfect. You're a very wise man. Very politically savvy. Yes?”

There was a cough from somewhere then a bang at the door. Percy glowered at the unresponsive panel for a moment then knocked again. The door opened, a face was thrust into his and Genji snarled, “What?” Percy made a soft noise then withdrew.

Musashi-sama never blinked, confident in the ability of his people to handle anything. He just remarked, “If I have to get up, someone is going to be sorry.” The translator didn't translate that, there was no need.

Fudge paled remarkably and fretted, “What was that? Who was it? What did they want?”

Genji-san smiled at him and said in his bad English, “No worry. Just red man. He go.” Genji smiled again, this time to himself, his English was as good as Harry's and much better than Musashi-sama's, but the 'no speakie English' gambit worked almost every time.

“Oh, Weaselby, he's alright. Now, where were we?” Fudge returned his distracted attention back to business. “You were getting ready to discuss payment for ... um ... services rendered. Right?”

Masa-san took over the negotiations, tag teaming Fudge with Musashi-sama. Every time one of them made a demand, the other distracted Fudge with a question about something else pertaining to the fight against Voldemort. The translator interspersed the two conversations randomly, confusing Fudge even more.

Finally, Genji-san presented Fudge with a written contract, in elegant Kanji on thick, ice white rice paper. The contract called for the ministry to pay all Harry's expenses, incidental as well as direct and anticipated. Harry was also to be paid a salary per month equivalent to that of a head of department and hazardous duty pay. In other words Fudge got royally screwed, without a kiss. He signed and sealed it while Masa-san and Musashi-sama reassured him, smiling politely, that it was just a formality.

And it was just a formality, until it was registered with the ICW that is.

Everyone stood, bowed, shook hands and agreed that their business was done. Fudge never realized that he'd never offered anyone refreshments, a deadly insult in Japan. He also never realized that he'd been taken to the cleaners by experts, until it came time to pay the toll. By then, it was much too late.

As they left the office, Musashi-sama said, “What an idiot. And so rude. Never offered a drop of tea or a crumb of rice. And he stinks. Bah! Poor Yusuke-kumicho, to have to deal with a bunch of stinking barbarians like that on a daily basis. Send him a treat of some sort. Genji, take note?”

Genji-san nodded. “Sure thing, boss.”

Masa-san agreed with his father. “Really, father, more than just a treat. Send him something really nice. Poor little brother. Disgusting.”

Genji-san glowered at some functionary or other who'd stepped into his way. The man yelped and jumped back into the doorway. “At least we didn't have to lean on him. Right, Boss?”

“Yes. That was good. But ... I would have enjoyed it.” Musashi-sama managed to look a bit sad at that.

They all stepped into the huge commercial fireplace in the Atrium and exited in Japan.

Letters were sent to Harry's kaikei and Shingiin, with orders and copies of all pertinent papers.

Fudge gave his copies of everything to Percy, who just read them then filed them. He was sure that Fudge was on his way out, but he was stuck here with no way back.

.

While Harry spent most of his week finishing investigations into how to access the different houses, his father was involved in much more interesting things.

The first thing was to register all contracts between Fudge and Harry/Yusuke with the ICW, under both his names. No chance of wiggling out for the British Ministry.

This didn't take long, Nakajima Haruhiro, as Saiko-Komon, took care of this. He took his friend and contact at the ICW to lunch, gossiped shamelessly and had the registration done in three hours, neatly slipping it by Dumbledore in the process.

Then Ichigo-san took twenty men, including four healers to Azkaban to get Sirius Black.

They refused to deal with the foolishness the English guards wanted, they just announced that they had papers from the ICW and, as representatives of same, they were taking Black with them. The guards took one look at the hard, cold faces of the stocky men and their coal black eyes and allowed them to do as they pleased. After all, they had the proper papers and, well, they weren't paid enough to fight off these men. And who cared if they took a traitor or not.

Sirius Black looked up from his bed when the door of his cell opened. His hopeless expression turned to hope when a man motioned to him to stand up. He stood and shambled over to the door.

When he got there, he was addressed by one of the men who asked, “You speak Nihongo?”

Sirius wondered for a moment what that was then realized that the man was waiting for an answer. “Sorry. no. Um ...” he scrambled around within his skull for something to say. His mind was sluggish and he felt as if his thoughts were swimming in syrup.

“Never mind. You come. We leave. Now.” The gaki took Sirius by the arm and gently pulled him out of the cell. “Musho no good for you.”

Sirius wasn't sure what musho was but he was happy to agree with the man. He really didn't care where he was going, as long as it was out of here.

He was a bit surprised to have an older man run his hands over his chest, mumbling softly. Sirius felt a warm glow then the man nodded once in a decisive manner and turned to speak to another stern faced man.

A short walk later and they were on the dock. Sirius expected to see a boat there but instead, he was handed the end of a piece of rope. He recognized the portkey at once. He took hold of it then waited.

“International. We go. Now.” Sirius braced himself. “Iku!”

Sirius stumbled when they landed, falling flat on his back. He was dismayed to find that he didn't have the strength to get back up.

He was helped up by two men who walked him into a beautiful building and straight into a shower. He started to protest then shut up. He reckoned that he probably smelled horrible. He didn't resist as he was stripped, just protesting, “Hey! I've still got some stuff, you know.”

He let them soap him thoroughly and scrub him down with soft bristled brushes. Before he could protest again someone held a small basket under his nose, asking, “This all?”

He replied, “Yes, that's the sum total of my worldly possessions.” then he blinked as one of the men poured shampoo over his head.

Finally, scrubbed, scoured and shaven, he was shown how to put on the robe called a yukata and led into a furniture-less room. He was shown how to sit on a small pillow and then, wonder of wonders, he was offered soup. He nodded, said, “Thank you.” and through main force of will, refrained from gulping it down in two swallows. He put the bowl back on the tiny table and was rewarded with a quick smile.

A few moments later he faced a man of about 60, by appearance. He was well aware that a wizard could be much older than he appeared.

The man bowed carefully from the waist, keeping his eyes on Sirius. “Konichiwa, Sirius Black-san. Excuse my poor English, please.”

Sirius decided a small joke was possible. “For another bowl of that soup, I can excuse a lot more than poor English.”

“Good, good. Ano ... watashi no namae wa Miyamoto Musashi-oyabun.” Musashi pointed to his nose with one finger.

Sirius thought about that for a moment then bowed slightly. “My name is Sirius Black. Pleased to meet you.”

Musashi-san smiled. “Excellent, may I call you ... which is your family name?”

Sirius looked confused for a moment before recalling from somewhere that Japanese people said the family name first. “You can call me by my first name, Sirius, if you like.”

“Ah. That is not done. Yet. We do not knowing each other long enough. I shall call you Black-san. Yes?”

“Ok, that's fine. I should call you Miyamoto ... what was it? San? Miyamoto-san? If I screw up, please don't take offense.”

“Very good. I hope you stay long time. We get along good. Now. I have translator here. We have important things to discuss and no mistakes can be made.” Musashi called in the translator and spent the next hour plying Sirius with tea, food and information.

Sirius, for his part, had a very hard time keeping calm. There were several times when he wanted to scream out, but he held it in. Offending his host wasn't something that seemed wise.

The translator smiled when he finished the last of Musashi's words and bowed slightly. “Now, I'm sure you have questions. Please ask.”

Sirius did have questions, but not for his host. He explained, “I have questions but I know you can't answer most of them. Frankly, I'm sick and I know it. I have to have someplace to recover. But not in England. Can I stay here? I'd be glad to pay, no insult intended, if you need me to.”

The translator didn't bother to do more than translate before saying, “No need. Our Oojisama would cut us into fish bait if we made you pay. There's no question of you not staying either. So ... you go to bed now. Rest. Someone will stay with you in case you need something.”

Sirius nearly collapsed with relief. “Thank you. I need to lie down now. I'm about to fall over, frankly.”

He was bundled into a strange but comfortable bed that one of the men in the room took from a closet. They covered him, told him to sleep and left, all but one man, who settled in a pile of cushions with a newspaper. Sirius closed his eyes and went to sleep.

.

Harry glanced at his watch. It was one of the best Rolex self-winding mechanical watches available on the market. It was a bit of an antique, made in 1968. The Oyster Perpetual had a black dial and a sapphire crystal. The band was a replacement but was the original bracelet style. He had decided to wear it because of the after market addition of a reel garrote, it made the case a bit thicker but, due to the thinness of the wire and mechanism, it wasn't noticeable unless you were an expert on the Rolex watch.

He sighed, they were going to be late for breakfast. Not that it mattered, as it was Saturday. But he wanted to get to Hogsmeade. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend and he was hoping to meet up with his Kaikei for a bit. He wondered if the town had a garden. He missed his terribly.

He looked at his watch again then shouted up the stairs, “Oi! Neville-kun, hurry up. Hermione-chan will be coming up to grab you by the ear.”

He flinched as Hermione swatted him on the shoulder, exclaiming, “Not a chance. I'm not about to set foot in that pigsty.”

They both laughed. Harry acknowledged that his dorm mates were pigs then announced, “But I have high hopes. They can't continue on that way much longer.”

Hermione cast a puzzled look in his direction. “And why not?”

Neville came down the stairs just then, and overhearing her question, answered it for him. “Because they're going to run out of mess to make. Yusuke-kun is throwing stuff that's out of place out the window. It's driving the house elves mad. Not to mention Dean and Ron.”

Hermione huffed then said, “And not you or Seamus?”

“Me? Oh, no.” Neville shook his head with a grin. “I was taught to pick up after myself by our elves and I don't dare just drop things, I'll forget something important if I do that. And Seamus claims that his Mam would have his head if he made a mess for servants. So it's just those two.”

Harry shook his head in mock dismay. “I don't believe that two people could be so messy. I just ... it's ridiculous and I'm not putting up with it anymore. If they want to keep their things, they can put them away.”

Neville snickered a bit meanly. “I've put up with it for five years because I didn't see a way to stop them. Don't tell, but I just threw Ron's favorite pants out the window. I really ... he just drops things everywhere and I really don't want them on my bed. That's ...” He paused, trying to think of how to express himself

Harry helped out. “That is disgusting, irresponsible and very rude. Perhaps even dishonorable. Underthings belong in your trunk, on your person or in the laundry basket. Not strewn all over other peoples private space.”

Hermione nodded her agreement then demanded, “Well? Come on, I'm hungry and I want to see what new Japanese treats the elves have made for us. I really love all this.”

Neville agree but announced, “I’m hankering for some old fashioned bacon and eggs today.”

Harry laughed, “Good for you. I'll have to admit that a proper English fry up is too heavy for my stomach. It's always been a bit delicate. I think it's because the Dursleys didn't think I needed to eat more than twice a week. Messed up my digestion.” He ignored Hermione's flapping mouth and headed for the Great Hall.

One thing that he'd learned early, it didn't do to try to hide what had been done to him. Secrets were dangerous weapons that could rebound to cut you so it was best that they were either very carefully guarded or didn't exist. So he made no secret of how he'd been treated by his relatives. 

Neville was already used to remarks like this so he only snorted. Hermione, on the other hand, was still trying to reason out how someone could treat a child in their care like Harry had been treated. This came out in a tendency to argue that Harry had to be wrong, or had misinterpreted their actions in some way. Needless to say, Harry was not pleased by this at all.

“Yusuke-kun, I'm sure that they fed you. Just perhaps ...” Hermione caught sight of his face just in time. Almost.

“Granger-san, we will never agree on this. I know what they intended, they shouted it at me often enough. They did not like magic and intended to starve and beat it out of me. Now, I'm not a stupid person and my memory is more or less perfect. Please do not argue with me any longer. Especially if you wish to remain my friend.” He stopped, faced Hermione and bowed. “Excuse me. My appetite is ... gone.”

Hermione looked like she might cry but Neville rounded on her. “Hermione, shut it will you. Turning into a watering pot now is much too late. Why do you insist on doing that? He knows what he knows. We have no idea and arguing with him over remarks like that is the height of stupidity. If you piss him off enough, you'll wind up alone. I have no intention of being forced to choose between you. Do you understand?”

Hermione nodded miserably. “I know. I just ... I don't understand how someone could ... be unkind to a small child. It doesn't make sense.”

“Death Eaters don't make sense either, but they exist. Some people are just wrong headed and there's no changing them. Just agree with him next time he makes a remark like that.” Neville tugged Hermione on their way, continuing, “Besides, it really doesn't make any difference what the truth is. All that really matters is, what he believes is the truth. And don't you forget it.”

Hermione thought about that comment all the way to breakfast. She realized that Neville was right, arguing with Harry over what he felt was stupid. He felt what he felt, never mind truth. She gave it up as a bad job altogether and resolved to quit arguing with Harry over it. Now all she had to do was make up with him, again.

Neville seemed to realize what was going on in her head as he remarked as they settled on a bench. “You have to stop this. There's only so many forgives in the deck, you know. One day he's going to run out.” He served himself some bacon before Ron got hold of the platter. “I know I'm not exactly the one to give advice. But I'm shy, not stupid. And I've got more backbone than you'd think. I just hate shouting matches. Gran got her way, not because she was right, but because her voice could shatter glass, she's my guardian and she's older. Uncle got his way because Gran insisted. But I managed to keep the houses running and things on a fairly even keel because I just bulled up and did it. See?”

Hermione agreed that she did see. She turned her attention to her breakfast, thinking hard.

She had always thought that intellect would guide her through anything, it turned out that it wouldn't. Her feelings, her heart had to take part too, or she alienated everyone around her. Neville had tried to tell her, along with Ron and her room mates, but she'd been stubborn and set on proving that she was right and they were wrong. She'd wound up with roommates who tolerated her and one single friend. How Neville had stuck it out, she'd never really know. But she was realizing, at much too late a date that she was wrong and they were right. Now, how to fix the mess she was in was beyond her.

Neville had to be psychic as he said, “Hermione, steam is pouring out your ears, your brain is overheating. Just give everyone time to see that you really want to change. But you really do have to want to, not just want friends under any circumstances. Understand?”

Hermione did and agreed with Neville then went back to eating, shoving a spoonful of porridge into her mouth to keep from grumbling. As Harry hadn't come to breakfast with them, there were no Japanese treats for anyone.

Neville just mumbled, “Serves you right.” and went back to his potatoes.

.

Harry walked down to Hogsmeade, taking it easy. He could have made it from the doors of Hogwarts, through the front courtyard and gates, down the path and to the main square in less than ten minutes. Instead, it took him nearly twenty. It took that long for him to calm down. He didn't mind being called a liar, he was, he just resented being called one when he was telling the truth.

As he was walking, despite the fact that he was thinking, he saw something out of the corner if his eye. A small ball was flying toward his head. Someone had flung some sort of grenade at him. He snatched it out of the air and banished it quickly. But not so quickly that he didn't know everything he needed to know about it. One of the Weasley twins had tossed it at him. Now, to most people, something banished is just gone. Not to Harry. He could banish something completely, or he could banish it to a holding space much like his mallet space. From there it could be retrieved for future use. In this case, study, to see what it was. He took a moment to glare around. He caught a glimpse of Weasley red hair but wasn't sure exactly who it was.

“Ano ... who? Hummm. This needs taking care of.” Anyone who was near enough would have heard the threat in that soft voice. Luckily, or unluckily, no one was.

Harry wandered around a bit, looking in windows and watching the younger students scamper here and there.

He didn't jump when he was joined by several Yakuza. One just bowed to him saying, “Oi, Kumicho.” while the rest took up traditional places around him.

He nodded his approval, got out a cigarette and took a drag. “Ok, what do we know?” he didn't notice, nor would he have cared about, the looks he got for speaking Japanese.

“Not that much. We still have feelers out for more. I'll write up a report as soon as we know the major players.” The speaker was Harry's new wakagashira, Ito Ken-ichi. He'd been chosen by Miyamoto Musashi himself. His letters had been sent, along with a picture, via Harry's mailbox.

Harry nodded at him. “Hn. Orders?” Harry was well aware that his father would never write down a certain type of order.

“Sorry, Boss, the Oyabun says to thin the ranks, low to high. We'll have names and particulars as soon as we can. He wants you to take care of most of it yourself. You've got diplomatic immunity ... we don't. My humble apologies.”

“No matter. Don't worry about it. Just get me intel as soon as you can.” Harry shivered a bit. “It's fucking cold in this dreary place. Inside.” He opened the door to the Hogshead and walked in.

After taking in the room with one glance, Harry motioned for one of the gaki to go to the bar, telling him to bring back full English for anyone who wanted it. He was hungry and he knew that all he'd get here was a rather bad fry up, but that was better than nothing.

But the gaki had other ideas. “You hungry, or you just want to make some kind of impression?” the man knew he was taking his 'life' in his hands but he didn't care. It was his duty to take proper care of his kumicho and that was exactly what he was going to do.

“I got upset and didn't eat breakfast. Go get me something to eat.” Harry wasn't as surprised as someone else might have been when the gaki just popped away.

He returned a moment later with a magnificent bento. His smile proved that he'd made it himself. “Please. Enjoy.”

Harry took the top off the multi-compartment bento and grinned back at the gaki. The bento contained maki sushi, fried rice, pickles and fruit. It was more what one would have for lunch but Harry didn't care. He just said, “Thank you for sacrificing your lunch to me. It looks very good.” And it was.

After he finished the bento Harry got up, motioned to his men to follow him and walked out of the dirty inn. “I think that place should be cleaned up. See to it.” He didn't care if the proprietor wanted his services or not. His men would not live in filth. “I want a man stationed there 24/7 in case I need him. Not the same man all the time either. See to it.”

A chorus of “Hai, Hai, Kumicho!” echoed around the narrow street, making people glance their way. A few glares sent most of them off about their business again.

One person just watched for a moment then followed as they walked down the byway and into the main square.

.

Hermione and Neville took their time getting to the square, hoping that Harry would be calmed down by the time they got there. They were just walking in one side as Harry entered the other.

Hermoine took it upon herself to attract his attention by waving vigorously and yelling, “Oi! Oi! Yusuke-kun! Over here.” Neville winced. This was something that no wizard would do; except, perhaps, a Weasley. They were well known for manners more fitting to someone 'raised in a barn' as the saying went.

Hermione's actions caused everyone in the square to stare at her for a moment before dismissing her as 'that Granger girl' at it again. Harry just sighed, things like that weren't done in Japan either. If you wanted someone's attention, you just called them on their cell.

He waved back and waited until Hermione and Neville made their way over. Hermione was treated to a very thorough looking over while Neville submitted, with some surprise, to a pat down. Harry didn't make a move to stop his men.

When the search was over, Harry exhaled a cloud of smoke while saying, “Hello, Neville-kun. Hermione-chan. I'd like to introduce you to my wakagashira Ito Ken-ichi and my gaki and kyōdai. They'll have to tell you their names if you're interested, there's too many of them for individual introductions in a common street.” He smirked at Neville who was white as a sheet. “Neville?”

“You're ... oh, shite. ... Merlins pants. Um ...” Neville couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out when he'd seen Harry's tattoos. But Yakuza weren't something he would have thought of in relation to The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Hermione just got a blank look on her face. One of the gaki started to say something but Harry hushed him, whispering, “Quiet. You have to see this. She's really amazing.”

Hermione stared blankly into the near distance as her brilliant mind put all the pieces together for the first time. “Oh! Oh! Oojisama! And ... and ... Miyamoto Musashi? Which generation is he? Never mind. And ... Miyamoto Yusuke! You! Oh, my.” She blinked then looked around. “Yusuke-kun, you are a yakuza. And high ranked. How the heck did you manage that.”

Neville looked scared and started to say something but Hermione cut him off saying, “Oh, Neville, calm down. Yakuza never do much to civilians. It's just not done. They might punch you once or twice as a warning but I'm sure that's not necessary. Is it?” She turned her eyes to Harry.

Harry had to laugh and all his dansei, men, followed suit. “Hermione-chan, how can I stay mad at you? You're brilliant. And, no, we don't usually do much to civilians, you're all way too helpless. So. No more arguing about things you ... never mind. I refuse to go there.”

Hermione bit her lip. “I'm sorry. I just ...” She spread her hands helplessly. “I don't understand how anyone can be so cruel to a small child. They have to be ... crazy.”

Harry couldn't help it, he had to chuckle a bit darkly. “I think you might be right. And, I think that's why I hate to talk about them so much. Come, forget them. Fun time now.”

Hermione nodded. “Ok.” she smiled, “Honeydukes, now.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at Neville who shrugged and said, “Never get between a woman and chocolate.”

Harry held up one hand in a helpless gesture. “Never. It's more than your life is worth. Come, you.” The last was in Japanese. All the yakuza formed up and followed the three teens.

The walk to Honeydukes was interesting to Harry. He didn't remember ever being in a small English village before, especially not a magical one. He walked slowly and looked at every shop, house and cart in the street. He smiled to see that some shops had apartments over them, obviously for the owner to live in or rent out. He wondered if he shouldn't find a place for a few of his gaki to live in, closer to Hogwarts.

He turned to Ito-san and said, “I'm wondering about the wisdom of having several men here in Hogsmeade instead of just one. What do you think?”

Ito started looking around at the various buildings. “Not a bad idea, boss. But not here, in the middle of the town. I think someplace a bit more secluded would be better.”

Harry nodded. “There's an old, abandoned building between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, see about buying that.” Ito bowed and made notes. He also sent a couple of men to look the house over.

Neville turned to Harry and told him, “That's the Shrieking Shack. Some people say it's the most haunted house in Scotland. I have my doubts about that. But it's a real mess, been abandoned for years. Good luck, you're going to need it.”

Harry shrugged. “My men can handle a ghost. And, if they can't, I can.”

Neville snickered, “Peeves comes to mind. Never thanked you for getting rid of him. But I'd be careful about banishing any other ghosts. Professor Dumbledore might not like it if you banish a house ghost.”

“Peeves wasn't a ghost, he was a poltergeist. I really don't like them. I tend to banish first and ask questions later. Ghosts, on the other hand, are usually stuck. Or they want to remain behind. I tend to ask them if they want to move on.” Harry lit a cigarette, waving away a gaki who offered him a lighter, saying, “No thanks, I've got it.”

He stood, smoking, while Neville and Hermione went into Honeydukes to buy sweets. He longed for mochi for some strange reason. He watched as two of his men followed his friends into the store. He made note of their faces for later.

It took about twenty minutes for Hermione and Neville to return to the group. Harry nodded to the men who followed after. He also laughed at the expression on one man's face.

He was following Hermione who was chattering away in fractured Japanese. The man joined the group and Harry overheard him grumble, “She talks like a boryokudan from anime. What gives?”

Harry turned his head and said, “She reads manga and picked it up from that. Humor her. It's kawaii.”

All the yakuza smiled at the mix of Japanese and English, it was very common amongst them to mix languages depending on which ones they spoke.

All the dansei agreed, “Hai, Hai, Kumicho, Kawaii!” Harry snorted softly then turned to Ito. “When are you going to see about that house?”

Ito bowed to Harry and said, “I think I should go write a letter or two if you want that house. I'll check to see how to get a hold of it. Ok?”

Harry nodded. “Fine. If you get it, see that it's fit to live in before anyone actually moves in.”

“Ok, boss, but ... I think letting the men working on it move in would ... encourage quick work.” Ito bowed at Yusuke's wicked smile and walked off.

Hermione insisted on a quick trip to the stationers for more parchment, even though the whole group was using paper and pencil for their preliminary work, they still needed parchment for their final copy. They were all running out so she was going to buy a ream so they could split it up between them.

Harry just jerked his head at a man who followed Hermione without comment.

The rest of the group continued to wander the town, looking in windows and watching the passersby.

Hermione joined up with them nearly two hours after she left. Harry hadn't worried about her and had reassured Neville, saying, “She's got one of my dansei with her and he's got a panic button. If anything happens, we'll know. Relax.” he offered Neville a cigarette with a grin. “Smoke?”

Neville shuddered and refused. “No, I thank you. How you can smoke anything like that is beyond me.”

Harry just grinned and smoked his cigarette.

One of the gaki caught sight of Professor Lockhart and nudged Harry who immediately went into Yusuke mode. “Kumicho, who's that twink.”

Harry looked over his shoulder, exhaled a cloud of smoke in an aggravated puff then said, “Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.” Then he had to repeat himself in Japanese.

Every single head turned to watch Lockhart as he minced along the street. His extremely thick boot soles and high heels made him cautious on the freshly washed sidewalk. He noticed the group of strange looking, staring men and nodded to them, smiling in what he thought was a genial manner. It just made him look even more ridiculous.

Hermione crossed her arms under her breasts and snarled, “Baka yarou!”

Yusuke blinked then said, “Language, Granger-san.”

Hermione just pouted at him. All the dansei laughed behind their hands.

After another hour of people watching and commenting, much of it in rude Japanese, they decided to get lunch. Neville suggested the Three Broomsticks as opposed to Hermione's suggestion of Madam Puddifoots. Harry sent one of the dansei to check both out.

The man came back and announced, in English, that Madam Puddifoots was Pink. That settled it for all the group. They were going to the Three Broomsticks. Hermione tried to pout, but she was giggling way too much. Harry silently approved.

.

Rosmerta looked up as her pub was invaded by a group of around fifteen men, not counting the three Hogwarts students. She watched as they bulled their way through the door, pushing a couple of laborers aside as they came in. She didn't recognize any of them and just hoped that they didn't start a brawl that would destroy the common room.

There was a bit of pushing and shoving as the dansei made room for them all to be seated together, with Harry at the head of a table and Hermione seated ceremoniously at the foot.

Rosmerta decided to wait on that table herself, just to get a feel for the group in case she needed to call the Aurors or some of the home guard. She just did not feel like a situation on Hogsmeade day. Impressionable young children didn't need to see the sorts of things some men did to each other in a fight.

She didn't miss Ito as he eased into the room, glancing around quickly then settling at Harry's right.

.

Harry looked around, satisfied himself that everything was as it should be, and sat down. He smiled at Hermione who was red-faced but smiling.

After some consultation between Harry and Ito, it was decided they let Madam Rosmerta serve family style. Harry let Neville, who was seated at his left, help him pick dishes from the list Madam rattled off.

They wound up with steamed broccoli, garlic mashed potatoes, roast, green beans and salad, for afters Hermione suggested apple and pear crumble. It wasn't long before huge bowls appeared, carried in by Madam Rosmerta and the cook. The roast was already carved and arranged on a huge platter.

Harry, as host, took the first serving of every dish and ate a bite. Hermione frowned at this until the man at her right, chosen for this place because of his good English, explained, “Kumicho eat first in Japan. Prove that food is good.”

Hermione looked puzzled, “Excuse me? Madam Rosmerta always serves the best.”

“Not ... Don't know word. Dokubutsu in food.”

Hermione looked blank for a moment then realized. “Oh! Poison. Ugh! Is that common?”

The man grimaced, but allowed, “Not so much now. But ... once, very common. Angry Oyabun call men in and have banquet. Those ones who are not in favor, die. Rest, ok. See?”

“I do. You people have some ... very strange customs.” Hermione smiled a bit.

“To us, you have very strange customs too.” He smiled back and returned to his mash.

Hermione looked over the table and realized that she was sitting at a table with fifteen yakuza and shuddered a bit. This was getting very weird, even for the wizarding world.

Harry noticed Hermione shiver and gave her companion a warning glower, he just shrugged a bit fatalistically and nodded back.

They soon finished eating. Harry had Ito pay the check and followed the rest of his men out the door.

Hermione wound up next to Neville. Neville offered her his arm, which she took. She'd been foolish enough to refuse in first year and had gotten a thundering scold from McGonagall about proper manners and never forgot it.

Neville touched Harry on the shoulder, “Yusuke. Are you really going to buy the Shrieking Shack?”

“Yes, I am. I don't like not having my men near me. It's ... a Japanese thing. I need to have them near me to see that they're ... taking care of themselves. And I like having a retreat. Dumbledore ... I just don't trust him. He could have prevented the Ministry from taking my property. Where was he? What was he doing instead? Is it that he's overloaded? Or is there something else going on? See?”

Neville nodded. “Yes, I do. He never does anything without his all encompassing 'Greater Good' in mind. Or, he gets so busy meddling at the ICW that he forgets everything else. That's how some of those obnoxious 'creature' laws got passed. And now, he's just letting them go.” Neville subsided into grumbling about laws that had no business being on the books at all. Neville wasn't that fond of Dumbledore himself. After all, the man could have convinced his Gran to allow him to go to a hedge school, at the Weasleys, instead of suffering through several incompetent tutors, all hired by his uncle.

They didn't hurry, but they were soon at the shack. And shack it was. It wasn't built to be a shack, but it was run down enough that the epithet fit.

Ito-san looked at the house and sighed, it was big. It was three floors of disaster. He wondered how many bedrooms it had. And if it had proper bathrooms. He shook his head, this was going to be hard.

Harry gazed at his new house and then at his men. “Do your best. I know it will be difficult, but I really need this. I need a place close at hand, with people I can trust. Persevere.” His voice was soft, his Japanese very formal. All his new men knew what that meant. This was much more important than he was telling. Harry motioned to the men. “Well, come along. Let's see how bad it is.”

.

It was very bad. The first floor consisted of a kitchen, entryway, lounge and another room. It was so destroyed that no one could decide if it was a dining room or what. They finally decided that it was a dining room, no matter what its original function was to have been.

The second floor had another lounge, or library, the books scattered all around, in various stages of destruction indicated library. There were also two bed/sitting rooms with a bath room between them.

The third floor had four more, large bedrooms and another bath. Harry decided that they were large enough to hold six men each, if they were furnished Japanese style. None of the men commented, if the kumicho wanted them to live in a dump, they were just glad to have a real futon to sleep on.

After examining all the upper floors and making lists of what needed to be done on each floor, they went into the cellar. This was a whole other kettle of fish. The cellar was divided into storage rooms, what was obviously house elf quarters and, at the end of the corridor, which went from one end of the house to the other, they found what was obviously a tunnel. Where it went, no one was sure. Harry ordered Ito to make sure where it came out and to let him know at once.

The small group of students headed back for Hogwarts, leaving the dansei at the shack.

.

When they reached the outer courtyard, they were greeted by Professor Flitwick, who told them that they were to go to the Great Hall at once and stay there until further notice.

Harry glanced at Neville who shrugged. Hermione bit her lip in thought then announced, “I don't know. This isn't the way things are done. What? ... Oh, dear, something is very wrong.” She pointed at the high table. “Look, all the professors are at their table.”

Harry frowned. “I don't like this. Stay near me, both of you.”

Hermione looked like she was going to argue for a second, but, after glancing around at all the confused faces, she nodded once. Neville fingered his wand as he nodded too.

It was another fifteen minutes before the last of the student body returned, grumbling at their interrupted day.

Dumbledore stood in front of the head table and announced, “Attention, please!” The chatter died down quickly, after he fired a bang with his wand. “Thank you. Now ... I am sorry to interrupt your pleasures, but ... Mr. Filch has been cursed. This terrible tragedy is why you will all return to your houses, and prepare yourselves to be questioned by the staff. Your Head of House will be with you all shortly. If anyone knows anything about this attack, please tell them. No one will, I assure you, think ill of you. This is not tattling on a prankster, this is much more serious. Now ... everyone off. Pip pop! Off you go.”

Harry scowled at Dumbledore for a moment then snorted. “Like anyone is going to admit to anything.” He pinned the twins with his scowl. They both gave him back a head shake. He resolved to put the screws to them as soon as he could.

The return to the common room was exactly what Harry expected. McGonagall swept in, demanded answers to several very intrusive questions and ... got nowhere, quickly.

The Weasley twins double talked her into a headache, but proved that they'd been at Zonko's at exactly the time Filch had been found. The rest of the house also had alibis, except for one first year, who wasn't sure where she'd been. McGonagall reassured her that she really wasn't a suspect, as petrification was way beyond a first year.

Harry snorted and announced to his small grouping, “Petrification is beyond a seventh year. Someone ... never mind. I'd like to see where it happened.”

Professor McGonagall took that opportunity to tell everyone that they were confined to their House until morning, they would dine in their common rooms.

Hermione announced that she was not eating anywhere near Ron Weasley, and stomped up to her room, her roommates followed her. In fact, most of the girls returned to their dorms to eat.

Harry announced that there was no way he was eating in the filth of the common room. Neville and Seamus followed him up with Dean coming in about five minutes later. House elves appeared soon after that with bento for Harry, Neville and Dean and plates of meatloaf, potatoes and green beans for Ron and Seamus.

No one said much, they just ate and turned their attention to other pursuits. Seamus, Dean and Ron started up a rather noisy game of gobstones, while Neville shut his bed curtains to shut out the noise so he could study. Harry 'went all Yusuke' on the noisy trio and chased them down to the common room. He then turned his own attention to studying, covering his desk with scraps of paper and open books.

Harry studied until after curfew, then he quietly changed clothing and left the room.

He opened the common room door, smiling at the seal that someone thought would keep him in.

He used simple tricks to get to the site of the attack, tricks like staying in shadows, or climbing a wall to stick himself to the rafters until Snape passed by beneath him.

He found the area easily enough, someone had kindly marked it off with some sort of paint. He examined the floors and wall carefully. The words on the wall said, “Squibs and Mudbloods beware. The Chamber of Secrets is open. Go while you can.” he snorted, he could come up with a better threat in his sleep. The words were written in chicken blood.

He turned his attention to the floor next. It was very smooth from centuries of feet shuffling over it, but now there were several shallow scratches. Harry examined these carefully. They looked as if something very heavy had passed, dragging ... what? Harry knew he'd seen similar scratches but he couldn't remember where.

He returned to his bed with much to think about. He stayed in his bed for an hour then he remembered something. The Weasley twins and their joke.

He got up, found the small ball and examined it carefully. It was a prank. And not a really nice one either. The ball contained a liquid that would remove all the hair it touched, for 48 hours. He contemplated it for a moment then grinned.

A pathetic 'mow' attracted his attention as he was passing through the common room.

“Ah, Neko. Poor neko. Come with me.” He bent down and scooped up Mrs. Norris. He'd have to take care of her. If he didn't, who would?

He took Mrs. Norris to his bed, converted a handkerchief into a closed bed for her and slipped back out.

It didn't take him long to figure out that the twins slept in their own room. He'd checked the seventh year dorm and not found them. After a quick reconnoiter he found their room, across the landing from the seventh year dorm. One sniff and he knew why. They were brewing pranks in their room. He shook his head, tossed the small ball into the room and went back to his room and to bed.

 

.

Iku – go!  
Koi – come  
musho - prison


	12. Chapter 12

Due to numerous complaints from people who couldn't be arsed to figure it out for themselves; I switch from calling Harry, Harry to calling him Yusuke, depending on his attitude of the moment. Or who he's with.

.

 

Then next morning, Harry woke with a book and a cat on his chest. The book was a bit crumpled and the cat was happily purring away.

“Ohayoo gozaimasu, Neko.” He petted Mrs Norris for a moment, then put her on the foot of the bed. He put the book on his night stand and smiled, Mrs Norris had curled up and gone right back to sleep. He couldn't help but note that, despite her scruffy look, her fur was both clean and silky.

“Service, please.”

A house elf popped in and Harry said, “Thank you. Mrs Norris requires food, a litter box and a proper bed. Put the bed under mine, or at the foot. Whichever she finds acceptable. The food and water should be put somewhere where she can get to it, but no one will step in it. The litter box, I leave to your discretion. Questions?”

The elf gazed at the cat, who blinked lazily back, all the talking had awakened her. “Yes, please sir. Why is you caring for Grumpyman's kitty cat?”

Harry looked at the elf for a moment, then explained, “Because her master has been petrified. And I'd advise all you elves to be very careful. The same thing might happen to you.”

The elf meeped in a squeaky voice and popped out. She, Harry was fairly sure it was a she, returned quickly with food and water dishes, a bed and a litter box. The food and water were placed near the foot of Harry's bed, safe from the clumsy feet of the other boys. The bed was put into a niche that the elf created near the foot of Harry's bed, and the litter box floated itself into the bathroom.

The elf checked for approval with a quick glance. Harry nodded. “Well done. You travel in groups, don't leave anyone alone. Ok?”

“Yes, Miyamoto-sama, elveses will do. Thanking you for your concerns. We is grateful.” The elf popped out, waking Neville.

“Yusuke? What's up?” Neville, hair wild from sleep, stuck his head out of the curtains of his bed. 

“Not sure. Mrs Norris is here. I'm going to be taking care of her for awhile.” Harry pulled on some clothing and left, saying over his shoulder. “I'm off to exercise. Get up soon, or you won't have time.”

Neville grumbled half-heartedly, but got up, rubbing at pillow lines on one cheek. He liked the way he felt after a good run, even if it was on a treadmill. He also noticed that he was losing inches, but gaining weight. He wondered if he should see Madam Pomfrey. Then things clicked. “Yusuke-kun! Wait! Mrs Norris? What the hell?” but Harry was already gone.

Neville scrambled out of bed and tugged on some clothing. He was waking up fast. And he had a bad feeling. Something was going on, and it wasn't going to be fun.

That notion kept Neville scrambling to catch up with Harry/Yusuke as he exercised. Neville knew he was uncoordinated and chubby, but he wanted to slim down and learn some of the things Harry knew.

Harry was quite willing to teach Neville anything he liked. He'd gotten his certification last year as a sensei in most of his disciplines. But he was extremely picky in his students. He would teach Neville, Hermione, if she asked politely, but not Ron. He didn't feel that Ron was suitably mature for the arts. He wasn't going to fall into the trap of 'friendship'. The one where the reasoning started, “If you were really my friend, you'd ...” do something really foolish. Like hand Ron Weasley a sword.

Harry realized that Neville was watching him as he worked out. He also realized that he was on the verge of over working himself, he was sweating too much. He stopped, put his sword away and settled in seiza next to Neville. 

“Would you like to learn the sword?” Harry took the frosty glass of water Neville offered him.

Neville had to sit cross legged, as his ankles didn't like seiza yet. He shifted his legs from one cross to the other while he considered this. “I think so. But I don't have a sword and there's no way to get one without Gran finding out. She'll have a fit and I really don't want to row with her over it. So?” he let the question hang.

“I'll provide you with a sword. I have several you can choose from. You do realize that I'll be teaching you Japanese Shinkendo, not Western style? Yes?”

Neville waved a hand, saying, “I really don't care. As long as I can do something better than what I can now.” he grinned then demanded, “And what the hell is Mrs Norris doing in our rooms? Not that she's any bother to me but ... curiosity is killing me.”

Harry sighed and rubbed his face with a towel. “Mr. Filch was petrified last night. And, no, I'm not telling you how I know. I just do. Who's going to take care of her if I don't?”

Neville shook his head. “No one. But you better watch out for Weasley. He might take it into his head to do something nasty to her, just to spite Filch.”

Harry snarled a bit then said, “He'd better not. That cat hasn't done anything to him.”

Neville kept his own counsel about that. Some students believed that Mrs Norris could, and did, follow them then tell Filch on them. He had his own ideas about that. Besides, she was Mr Filch's pet, she responded to him, not the students. She'd obviously chosen Yusuke as her new human. Yusuke didn't seem to object.

“Now, to change the subject. How do you feel you're doing with your current exercises? I noticed that you finished before me.” Harry smiled at Neville, carefully judging his expression.

“I feel that I've progressed to the point that I need a new ... kata? Is that what you call it?” Neville was very satisfied with himself. He'd used a potion that was made from several herbs grown in his personal green house to support his body while he became accustomed to the increase in activity. It was used mostly by athletes like professional Quidditch players and duelists. It helped the body repair itself after exercising, making it easier to build muscle and endurance. It also kept him from getting really sore.

“I'm glad you feel that way. Are you using any potions? I really need to know about that as some of them are more harm than help.”

Neville took a vial out of his pocket and handed it to Harry. “I'm using this. It's brewed for me by one of Longbottom Greenhouses subsidiaries. I've been told it's very safe.”

Harry pulled the cork and sniffed the contents. He replaced the cork and gave it back to Neville. “It is, as long as you get enough protein and fluids. Good. We'll pick you a sword tonight. Come on, we'd better get cleaned up, have breakfast and so on. Wouldn't do to be late to class.”

They got back to the room just in time to keep Weasley from tossing a loudly protesting Mrs Norris down the stairs. He claimed, and Harry believed him, that he thought cats always landed on their feet. That was just the sort of superstitious nonsense the boy would believe. 

Harry just took the disgruntled cat from him and announced, “I'm taking care of her for now. If anyone does anything to her that I don't approve of, I'll be speaking to them about it. In the outer courtyard. Understood?” He glanced around. Mrs. Norris purred her pleasure at his absent stroking of her ears.

Neville just shrugged, grabbed a towel and headed for the showers. Dean and Seamus both gave him that sort of wide eyed look that told him he'd scared them half to death. Ron glared then mumbled, “Just keep her out of my way ... and my bed. That's where she was when I got out of the shower.”

Harry agreed that no one wanted to have to do a fur removal charm before going to breakfast. He offered to cast a repelling charm on anyone's bed, all they had to do was ask.

Seamus just shrugged. “Don't care if she nests in my bed, as long as that's all she does. She shits and all bets are off.”

“I agree. I'll ask Hermione if she knows any charms to prevent Mrs Norris from that sort of behavior. Her box is in the bathroom. The elves will take care of that and her food and water.”

Harry waited for further comments. When he didn't get any, he stripped off his sweaty things, put on a yukata and headed for the shower, towel over his shoulder, little basket of toiletries under his arm. 

When he finished his shower, dressed and readied himself, he found Neville and Ron waiting for him in their dorm. He was amused to see that, while Ron was rumbled and wearing yesterdays clothing, Neville was neat, clean and obviously fresh from a shower. His hair was still a bit damp as he hadn't quite mastered drying charms.

Ron nodded to the stairs and said, “I thought we'd wait for you and go down together. I want to ask Granger for a charm or something to keep that damn cat out of my bed.” He held up a hand. “I know you said you'd do it, but it's my bed so I should take responsibility myself. Thanks all the same.”

Neville just rolled his eyes. Sometimes Ron was as obvious as a bludger to the head, other times he was so subtle that everyone knew Dumbledore had had a hand in things. Neither one of them was going to gain any 'points' with Harry when he found out.

Hermione was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, my goodness. Have you heard? Filch was petrified last night. What do you think happened to him? Do you think it was a hex? I bet the Slytherins had something to do with it. Just ... what do you think Dumbledore is going to do now?”

Harry calmly placed a hand over her mouth. “Hermione-chan, silence please. Yes, don't know, no idea, nothing. Ok?”

Hermione licked his hand causing him to snatch it away with a laugh. “Yes, ok. Sorry. But it is a bit worrisome, you'll have to agree.”

Ron nodded. “It is. And on top of that, Harry has adopted his damn cat. So ... do you know a charm or something to keep her off my bed? And Seamus wants one that will just keep her from messing in his. So?”

Hermione just snorted. “I do. I'll teach both of you at lunch.”

Ron just turned and ambled off to eat his breakfast.

Harry gazed after him for a moment, then shook his head. The boy was totally clueless and would remain that way.

“He might have been a good friend but ... I don't trust him as far as I could throw Hogwarts. Come on, I'm hungry.” Harry headed for the door with Neville and Hermione on his heels.

Dumbledore made an announcement at breakfast that whoever had cursed Mr Filch was in a lot of trouble when they got caught. Harry took one look at the head table and knew that there was a lot more to this than spite or vengeance. He started to worry a bit, he'd hold off on real worry until he knew it was necessary. After all, his men always said, “If Oojisama gets worried, people die. It's best to keep him happy.” Whatever this threat turned out to be, he intended to have a real conversation with it, him, them, and express his displeasure.

Hermione frowned as Dumbledore sat down to his breakfast. “I wonder what ... petrification? Very strange. I don't remember a specific hex or curse whose primary effect is petrification. Or, rather, the sort of petrification that doesn't lead directly to death. And, since, Dumbledore said that Filch would be fine with a dose of mandrake extract based potion ... hummm.” She stuck her hand into her bag and pulled out a fresh spiral notebook and a pen. She scribbled for a few moments, wrinkling her nose at the sharp scent of new paper, then tucked it away. “It is something to think about. Yusuke-san?” 

“I don't think it was a curse. I don't know of any that react just that way either. But Ojiisan Agohigi keeps his cards very close to his chest. I don't trust him. Do some research for me?”

Hermione just nodded and started to stick her nose in a book. Harry distracted her for a moment by shoving a sandwich made of scrambled eggs and cut up sausages between two slices of toast into her hand. She started eating it while she read.

Neville rolled his eyes at Harry. “Now you've done it, mate.” Harry just raised an eyebrow. “A good excuse to research? Please.”

They both laughed together easily. Their eyes sparkling brightly, full of glee.

When they were finished eating, Neville dragged Hermione out of her book, and they headed off to class.

Charms was interesting as Flitwick lectured the whole period. Harry was very interested in his lecture on the different ways of building a charm and took extensive notes as well as writing down all the recommended reading. He'd have to acquire his own copies of all the books as the translation charm he was using couldn't be reversed.

Transfiguration was dull and all the students sighed and squirmed their way through a continued review of the last few years. McGonagall had to call Ron to task several times and finally gave him a detention. When she started to say, “With Mr Filch.” she stopped, cleared her throat and amended that he should report to her at 5pm.

Lunch followed Transfiguration and the student body was treated to the 'vision' that was Gilderoy Lockhart. He had donned robes that made Dumbledore look like a Puritan and was declaiming to anyone who would listen, in other words, anyone who wasn't fast enough to run, that he was sure Filch had been petrified by a rogue house elf. Professor Snape sneered at him and stormed out of the Great Hall in a snit, robes snapping at his heels.

Hermione was indignant on behalf of the elves. “Well, really! That man is impossible. A house-elf harm a wizard, or even a squib like Mr. Filch? Not going to happen. So ... I do have a few ideas, now that I've had time to think about it. But I need to do some reading before I'm sure. And ... um ... no one go anywhere alone. Ok?”

Harry nodded. “That means that Neville and I will be doing our homework in the library with you. Unless you can check out the books and bring them with you?”

Hermione thought for a moment. “Well ... I'm not sure. Let me check before I say anything.”

She checked with Madam Pince who just nodded. It didn't take her long to find the books she wanted. She juggled the pile for a moment then gasped, it was sliding. Harry grabbed the whole thing and got it under control.

“Here. I'll carry it. And be amazed. I usually don't carry anything.” Harry gave her one of the looks that she privately called, “Yusuke yakuza” and set the books down on the checkout desk.

Madam Pince scowled, then demanded, “I do hope you are going to take proper care of all these books. I really don't know how you expect to do anything with them in a dorm room. Especially with your room mates.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “We have a study room. I'll see that all the books are properly cared for. As if Hermione-chan won't.”

Hermione grinned at him, then turned a scowl on the librarian. “You really think I won't take proper care of these books. Or are you just in a bad mood.”

Madam Pince had the good grace to apologize. “Well, I'm sorry. I am in a rather bad mood. Some first years managed to spill ink on a copy of a rather old scroll. It's second copy but it's still valuable.”

Hermione made a face. “I swear, some people. Really. I'm sorry to hear that.”

Harry glanced around. He saw the scroll in question an asked, “May I see that? I promise I won't do more damage.”

Madam just handed him the scroll. It was already ruined so she didn't see any reason to guard it with her usual fervor. “Here. See? It's totally soaked and dried. If they would only bring me these things at once ... I might have been able to save it.”

Harry eyed the ink stain for a moment then nodded. “It's just gall ink?”

Madam Pince nodded. “Yes, but it has iron oxide in it too. That's the problem. The brown will not be removed.”

“Not by any spell you know, I'm sure.” Harry waved a hand over the ink then tossed an ofuda at it. “But, banishing is banishing.” He bowed politely, handing the astonished librarian a pristine parchment.

“Why, thank you.” Madam Pince dithered for a moment. “Do you think you could teach me that?”

Harry nodded. “Yes. I need a bit of paper. Not parchment.” He fished in his bag for a moment. “Ah! Here we are.” He took a small box from his bag and set it on the counter. “Now, I don't know how to do it with your sort of ink. It might not even work. So ... you have to use pine ink for this.” He looked from Madam Pince to Hermione. “And don't ask me why as I don't know. And a few drops of water ... not spit, that's just nasty.” He conjured a drop or two of water with a tap of his finger. “And grind the stick carefully. Don't make a lot of ink unless you intend to make several ofuda at once. Wasting ink is disrespectful and can affect your magic. So ...” He cleaned and dried the ink stick with a gesture then picked up his brush. “Now to write the kanji.” The brush danced over the rice paper. “And ... I don't use a wand but I think you'll feel how it goes.” He picked up the ofuda between his index and second fingers and said, “Kaishe!” The paper glowed for a second then seemed to continue to glow faintly. “It's activated and will remain ready until you use it. I don't recommend doing that as the spell will fade over time. I carry ofuda unactivated and just activate them as needed.” He smiled, “And I hope you'll keep that to yourselves, please.” He grimaced to himself, he was going to have to guard his tongue better, his Father would be very displeased with him.

It didn't take long to find out that English ink wouldn't work. It had to be pine ink stick on rice paper. Madam Pince just shrugged, saying, “It's ritual work, I'll just order my own things from Flourish and Blotts. Thank you very much, Yusuke.” and with that, she returned to her practice of the kanji. Harry had just given her the old writing set with a shrug.

“You are very welcome, Madam Pince-san.” He smiled then, a particularly sweet smile that made the sour librarian flush. 

Madam Pince smiled, a slight flush coloring her cheeks at the unaccustomed thanks.

As they walked away, Hermione babbled, “Oh, Yusuke, that was so interesting. Is there any difference in the ink, really? Or is it just sympathetic magic? Do the fuda do more than banish? I know that you banished Peeves, and thank you for that, by the way.”

She was just about to ask half a dozen other questions when Harry said, “Easy there. You're a babbling brook of questions. One at a time.” He tossed his hair off his shoulder to hang down his back as he waited for her to settle down.

Hermione flushed but smiled. “Sorry.” She walked in silence for a moment then said, “I know it's rude, but ... could you do something about Professor Binns? I mean, he's just awful. And nothing but Goblin Wars, which aren't very useful in passing the Ministry administered OWLS, NEWTS and Apprenticeships. Please? Kudasai?” She gave Harry her best begging eyes, the ones that worked on her father every time.

It worked on Harry too. “Fine, put those eyes away. I don't like him either. But ... Is it proper to send him off, if he doesn't want to go? Or is it better for all involved to send him without warning?”

Neville, who'e been a silent observer to the whole process with Madam Pince, spoke up, “I don't think anyone much will care, except, maybe Dumbledore. I've seen the professor wandering the corridors with a ... sad expression on his face. I think he's stuck. Duty before desire? You know what I mean, Yusuke?”

“I do.” 

They had a free afternoon so they went to the juku to study. Hermione to read her books. They spent the afternoon together.

Harry also took the time to find Neville a sword from the rather extensive collection he kept in his mallet space.

He had Neville try each one, then run through a bit of kata. It didn't take long for them to settle on a rather long katana, but Neville had long arms and good control of it, so it was decided that the new katana should be his first sword.  
.

While they waited for dinner to be served, Hermione taught everyone in the boys dorm several charms and spells to keep Mrs Norris from 'offending'. She also taught a charm to make their beds. Harry admitted to already knowing several housekeeping spells. The food appeared just then so they started serving themselves.

Ron just snorted at the thought of knowing cleaning charms, exclaiming, “And why would you know all that sort of thing? Not like you're someone's maid, after all.”

Harry just gave him a rather ugly look, slapping his chop sticks down he snapped, “Because I hate living in dirt. And I'm a responsible person. I take care of my own needs. I'm not some aho who has to have someone else take care of me.”

Ron just made it worse. “Mum takes care of all that sort of stuff. A real man shouldn't concern himself with housework.”

Yusuke came out with a vengeance then. “Oh, and you're too good to help your mother clean? You leave it all to her? Lazy and dirty. I learned to care for myself, as any man should.”

“Oh, sure. I bet your ... whatever you call 'ums ... do your work.” Ron waved a hand in irritation.

“They do. But it's considered an honor to serve me. As I served my father when I was learning. Sempai to ...” He made a face. “Senior student to junior student. That doesn't mean I shouldn't know how to do it myself. Never ask someone to do something you can't, or won't, do yourself. Baka!”

Hermione pushed her almost untouched plate away and clasped her hands together. “Oh, shit!” She knew she shouldn't swear but it was so hard to stay out of things.

Neville just touched Yusuke on the shoulder. “Come on, leave him alone. You'll just get yourself all upset for no good.”

Yusuke turned a blazing look on him, making Neville gulp. “Gomen Nasai. Arigato.” He made a visible effort to calm down. “I need to be ... not near him.”

Neville just nodded, piled food on a platter and started out the door. Hermione snatched up a pot of tea and chivvied Harry out the door and into the inner courtyard.

Harry managed to calm himself, sitting on a stone bench while Hermione and Neville set out the food.

Neville touched Harry on the knee, careful not to startle him. “Food's ready. You really should eat something. And don't let Ron upset you. He's an idiot but he ... well, he's not malicious or anything just ...” Neville gazed at Harry for a moment, bravely meeting his eyes.

Hermione took over as Neville fell silent. “He's the youngest boy in a family of seven, or is it eight? And his sister, Ginny, gets things new as the only girl. He's a jealous git and a bit of a bully. He'll either out grow it or ... not. Dumbledore seems to see something in him ... what, I'm not sure. Just don't fall into that honey trap of his.”

Harry started, then snickered. He tried to stifle his laugher, but failed.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. “Ok, what did I say? What's so funny?” She glowered at Neville, who was frankly howling.

Harry managed to get himself together enough to explain, “You're more likely to catch me in a honey trap than that long drink of tea. I'm not interested in boys that way.”

Hermione gave him a blank look then flushed heavily. “Oh! Oh, my goodness. Sorry. But ... well, you know what I meant. He's all 'I'm a good friend.' and then, he gets all weird and mean. He's just too irresponsible for me. I ... Dumbledore told me to be polite to him, so I am. But I don't trust him much. He'll change on you like a ... something very untrustworthy. Here ...” she handed out tea, taking cups from their hangers on the pot, and changed the subject. “What about Binns?” 

Neville looked hopeful for a moment but then drooped, “What about a teacher, if he gets banished?”

Harry sneered, “And that's my problem because?”

Neville shrugged, “I guess it's really not. So ... how do I help?”

Hermione blinked, gazing off into the shadowed walk which surrounded the courtyard. “What in the world?”

Harry looked up, then smiled a not particularly nice smile. “Well?”

The Weasley twins slid out of the shadows and slinked over to the bench. “We're sorry. Make it stop.”

Harry shrugged. “Hoisted by your own petard. It's the effect of that ball you tossed at me. Whatever you had planned is your fate.”

They looked at each other then Harry.

“But ...”

“we didn't ...”

“intend it to last more ...”

“than an hour.”

Harry flicked his eyes back and forth at this bit of twin-speak then snarled, “That's enough of that. One of you speak, the other remain silent unless you have something worth saying.” He glowered at one twin then the other. He pointed, “You speak. What is your name? And no foolishness unless you wish me to call you Baka-ichi and Baka-ni.”

The twins looked into each other's eyes for a moment then, reaching some sort of agreement turned back to the three friends.

“Ok, I'm Fred, he's George. Not that that will help you much, we're identical. But ... that ball wasn't supposed to last more than an hour. I swear. So what did you do to it?” 

Harry shook his head, “I didn't do anything to it. I put it in mallet space, took it out, looked it over then chucked it into your room last night. That's all.”

Hermione bit her lip for a moment, thinking that over. Neville beat her to the conclusion.

“Well, could putting it in mallet space have done something?”

Fred thought about that, absently rubbing his bald head. “Yes, it might do. Can we see it?”

Harry shook his head. “Not possible. It's ... a pocket dimension, for lack of a better explanation. Give me something. I'll put it in then give it back. You can try to figure it out for yourselves.” He held out a hand.

George handed him something. It was just a colorless, opalescent ball but Neville eased back from it like it might bite him. Harry reached up and his hand disappeared up to the wrist. He waited a moment then handed the ball back to George, saying, “Well, there then.” He fixed both twins with a look that made them squirm uncomfortably. “If you pull another practical joke on me, you'll regret it. Believe me.”

The twins looked at him, shuddered simultaneously and said together, “We do, we do. Sorry. Really.” They then scurried away.

Hermione sighed, “I really wish I could be sorry for them, but I did warn them. They're really harmless. They just forget that what they consider funny sometimes isn't.”

Neville shook his head. “They really are harmless. Most of their pranks are just a bit embarrassing and usually don't last more than an hour. Now ... please, back to Binns?”

Harry sighed a bit. “The only real problem is to do it without getting caught. I hate getting caught. Okami are not kind.”

Hermione nodded, “Dumbledore would make a scene, just for appearances sake. Not that it really makes much difference.” both Harry and Neville gave her disbelieving looks. “Really. I've been thinking. He's not teaching us what we need to know. So ... he needs to be removed. Ipso facto, he needs to be removed so that we can get a proper teacher. Right?”

Harry shook his head in wonder at her, his braid making a silken, swishing sound as it swept across his back. “Yes. So ... distraction? Or just sneak in at night?”

Neville frowned then returned, “I hate to dump it all on you. But any distraction would attract attention to the fact that you aren't with us. At night? Well, that leaves a lot of people who don't like him as suspects.”

Hermione looked unhappy as she nodded, agreeing with Neville.

Harry smiled benignly then agreed with both of them. “You're both right. But ... Neville, I'll wake you before I leave. You provide me with an alibi, if needed. Ok?”

Neville said, “Sure, but what?”

“We'll play it by ear.” And with that he stood up and wandered off, leaving the remains of their meal for them to deal with, there was still quite a bit of food left, it would be a shame to waste it by banishing it.

As he walked, Harry examined the castle. He wasn't really paying that much real attention until he realized several things. The castle had neither Motte nor Moat, no outer curtain wall, no Murder Holes, no Postern Gate. In fact, it really wasn't a real castle at all.

He was pulled out of his ruminations by a voice. “Something wrong, my boy?”

Harry turned to see Dumbledore watching him with a twinkling eye.

“Yes, this castle is very ... undefended. It puts me off.” Harry stayed out of arms reach of the old man by habit.

“Yes. Well. It was built as a school from the very first. The Founders would want to present an open face to their student's parents. Or, at least, that's what I assume. Lemon drop?” Dumbledore offered Harry a tin of the sour things.

Harry eyed it for a second then declined. “No, thank you. I don't care that much for sweets, Sensei. Is there something you need?”

“Oh, no, I just wanted to check up on you. See how everything is going. I do hope you are doing well?” Dumbledore twinkled at Harry, who controlled a wince at the blinding combination of hot pink robes with yellow and orange trim.

“Well enough. I'm expecting an owl from my father soon.” Harry gave Dumbledore a sharp look. “I do hope there won't be any problems.”

Dumbledore shook his head easily. “No, no problems. But I do feel that this need to be constantly in contact with Mr Musashi shows a lack of trust that I find dismaying.”

Harry just blinked, one slow motion of his eyelids. “Ah, well then. Strive to show your trustworthiness. Trust is not something given lightly. Instead, it is something to be earned with all due and appropriate actions. Yes?” he watched as Dumbledore thought that over for a moment. “Now. I need to go or I'll be late to class.” He turned and walked off, hair swinging across his shoulders.

Dumbledore watched him go with a sour expression. He was well aware that he'd managed to lose any favor he might have had with the family but it wasn't all his fault. He wondered how to gain Harry's trust. He had to come up with an appropriate scheme.

.

Late that night, or early in the morning, Harry woke Neville. “I'm going, slip down to the common room and keep an eye out. I don't think anyone will be a problem but you never know.” His dark BDU's made him nearly invisible, the lack of rustling robes made him silent.

Neville rubbed sleep out of his eyes and picked up a book. “I'm going to lay down on the couch and try to go back to sleep. I'll claim to have been trying to read. If anyone asks I can say I didn't hear anyone leave.”

“Sounds good.” Harry left Neville to get himself organized and slipped out the door. He stopped at the head of the stairs to check that the common room was really empty. It was, so he ghosted across it and out the portrait door into the halls.

It didn't take long to make it to the history lecture auditorium. Binns wasn't there so Harry went down the stairs and across the stage to the back door behind which was Binns' office and, supposedly, the professors quarters.

Harry was right. He checked the office and, not finding the ghostly professor, the living quarters. The office was fairly clean but the living quarters were dusty and cobwebbed. Harry wondered if anyone really cleaned the castle. He thought the elves should have made sure that the whole castle was sparkling clean at all times. Seemed he was mistaken.

Binns was sitting in his chair before the empty fire place. When Harry entered, he looked up.

“Can I help you?” Binns put aside the book he was holding. It was a ghost as well.

“I was wondering if I might not help you.” Yusuke bowed carefully. “Do you like it here?”

Binns didn't bother equivocating. “No, not particularly. No one takes me seriously anymore. Most of the students sleep, talk or study other classes. I'm not even sure why.”

Yusuke shook his head. “You give the same lectures year after year. Goblin Wars. You don't teach what is needed to pass the tests.”

“I see. I was sure.” His brow furrowed. “But then ... I do get very confused nowadays. I wish ... but I seem to be stuck. I have a duty to Hogwarts. I've never been let go, you see.”

“Yes, I do see.” Yusuke reached into his pocket. “This will send you on your way to the other side. All you have to do is touch it after I activate it. And don't feel guilty. You've taught on for more than sixty years, from what I understand. You should rest now. Kaishe!” He held the ofuda out.

“Well, in that case, Dumbledore will just have to find a new teacher. I'm sure he'll manage just fine.” And with that, Professor Binns reached out and grasped the softly glowing paper and faded away with a serene smile on his face.

Yusuke sighed his relief. “Well, that went well.”

He left the room and slipped out the lecture hall door. He dodged Snape and returned to the common room in time to get four hours of sleep before he was up to run his exercises before breakfast. He'd poked Neville awake on his way in and he poked him awake to exercise now.

“Neville. Wake. Up.” Harry poked him with each word.

“I'm up. I'm up.” Neville threw his pillow at Harry, who just laughed and threw it back.

They worked out together and Harry was very pleased with Neville. The boy was willing and remembered everything with very few do overs. Harry wondered why everyone said Neville had no memory. He though it was because they didn't have patience to go over things more than once. He also though it wasn't very fair, as he was the only person he knew who remembered things the first time through.

Harry realized that he hated the way Neville hung on his faint praise. It didn't make his 'friends' look very good. He resolved to praise Neville more. And to keep his mouth shut better. He knew that Neville was proud of his leaner form and greater strength. 

His Chichi-ue would be very unhappy with him, he seemed to be shooting his mouth off way too much. He wondered why. As he thought, he realized that he wasn't this open with much of anyone. He settled in meditation to see what he could find out. Something was making him talk way too much. He just hoped he hadn't talked to the wrong people.

It didn't take him long to find the spell, curse, whatever it was. It was cast on him, personally, to make him more 'honest'. He used an ofuda to remove it. He was furious. He didn't recognize the magical signature, but he would remember it. When he found out who'd cast that curse, he'd make them very sorry. 

After taking a shower, Harry put up with breakfast, sulking rather obviously.

Hermione noticed but wisely said nothing until they were on their way to class.

“Ok, Yusuke, you're in a nasty mood. Why?”

“Someone cursed me. I'm not exactly sure what the spell was meant to do, but it made me tell people things I shouldn't have. It's lucky it was just you and Neville mostly.” Harry ran a hand through his bangs irritably.

“Did you recognize the signature?”

“No, but it's this one.” Harry showed it to Hermione with a wave of his hand. “You recognize it?”

“No. but then, I probably wouldn't.” She thought for a moment. “You should probably tell your Chichi-ue.”

Harry laughed a bit. “You would say, 'Your Otousan.' Chichi-ue is translated mostly as my father.”

“Oh, ok. Thanks. You should write to him.” Hermione worried at her lip for a moment then forgot about it as they got to their class.

Potions was just as annoying as ever. Snape seemed determined to put Harry off by hovering over him, casting odd looks, but only succeeded in annoying him.

When class was over, Harry shoved his books and notes into his book bag and headed for the door. He just wasn't in the mood to try to figure out what Snape was up to.

He stopped in the hall, turned to Hermione and said, “I'm going to write to my father. I'll be in the owlery for a few moments then in my room.”

Hermione gave him an odd look but didn't say anything, due mostly to the hard nudge Neville gave her.

Harry wrote a note to his father that said he thought his mail was being read. He sent it with a school owl then returned to his room to write the real letter, putting it in his mail box to be sent on by Gringotts.

He studied while he waited. Ron came in, made some sort of comment about him being a swot, whatever that was, and left in a huff. Neville came in, asked for some parchment then settled in his bed with a lap desk to write up his potions notes. Dean and Seamus came in, crashed and banged around for a bit then left to play pickup Quidditch. 

The mail box pinged at exactly 3pm. Harry opened it and found several letters; one from his men in Hogsmead, one from Miyamoto Musashi and one from his brother Miyamoto Masa. There was also one from the Ministry of Magic and another from Gringotts. He smiled. Things were looking up.

He read the letter from his father first, it detailed his meeting with the minister and instructed him to read the letter from the ministry next. He did and nearly choked himself laughing. The minister had screwed the ministry royally, with some help from Musashi-sama. The letter from Gringotts informed him that he'd had a deposit of enough gold to cover his costs to date for school, supplies and houses. The letter from Masa was a bit of the same with some instructions on who was who at school and who needed to be removed with prejudice. Snape was mentioned by name, as well as Flitwick and McGonagall. He folded the letters away thinking that, as always, his father was supremely efficient.

He knew that he wasn't going to get much more help from Musashi-sama as he had to get back to Japan and keep the family in order. A kazoku didn't run itself after all. But he was satisfied with the help he'd gotten. He knew all his targets and that was more than enough. He could manage to get to them with the help of his local wakashu. He knew he needed to promote some to kyōdai and he needed a so-honbucho. He needed to get to Ken no Ie and speak to his people. But for that he needed something he hadn't found yet; a way in and out of Hogwarts and into the house that no one could observe.

.

Breakfast was interesting the next day, as Dumbledore stood up to announce that there wouldn't be History of Magic this term as Professor Binns seemed to have 'gone on' most inconveniently.

Most of the student body cheered happily, except for the fifth and seventh years. They groaned but brightened when someone (Hermione, naturally) called out, “Now we can use that time to actually study for the OWLS and NEWTS.” Neville nearly fell off the bench, he laughed so hard.

.

Things went well for the next two weeks. Classes were easy, due to Hermione and her passion for organization. Neville was learning quickly and slimming down nicely. The house in Hogsmeade, which Harry had renamed Ken no Ie, was cleaning up well. All in all, things were good.

Ron wasn't proving to be much of a problem, as the twins kept him in a constant state of tension due to pranking him relentlessly. He bore it with dogged patience, disappearing into the depths of Hogwarts as often as he could manage.

Harry was wandering in the nether regions of Hogwarts, thinking about just that when he noticed a door hanging ajar. He was just curious enough to investigate. He pushed the door to the unused classroom open and caught the twins looking at a map. A very strange map. 

“Oi! What do you have there?” Harry blocked the door easily.

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just ...” Fred gulped, the look on Harry's face wasn't pleasant.

“I told you not to prank me. I did forget to tell you not to lie to me. I don't like it.” He waited, cold glare flicking back and forth.

George decided to take his life in his hands. “Not telling. What are you going to do about it?”

Harry started to say something in return, but paused as he heard an odd sound from the wall behind the twins. “Shizukani!” Both twins goggled at him, wide eyed. “Do you hear that?”

They all listened carefully. The twins heard some odd hissing. Yusuke heard, “I'm so hungry. Hungry! Need food. Where food? Promised food.” He moved quickly and pressed his ear to the stone wall.

Fred finally ventured, “Pipes?”

Harry shook his head. “No. A snake. A very big one. But ...” he realized that he was talking too much again.

He looked from one the the other. “Go back to the common room. Now! Grab everyone you see and take them with you. By force if you have to. Run!”

Fred grabbed George, and they did exactly that, grabbing the two prefects they saw and dragging them back to the common room. Their explanation didn't make much sense to the prefects, but, seeing as how the twins were nearly fearless, anything that scared them, scared the prefects even more.

Harry slipped out the door, and started in the direction the voice had come from. He ran right into a dead end. “Shimatta! Sore wa dokodesu ka?” he hissed to himself, and swore some more. He knew there had to be some way through here, he'd heard the snake go this way.

He heard another noise, this time boots on the slate floor. The sharp click of heels headed his way let him know that he was caught. He leaned against the wall to wait and see who it was.

It turned out to be Snape. And he was in a very bad mood.

“Well, well. What have we here? Out of bounds?” Snape started to sneer then seemed to shiver. “You'd better get back to your commons.” His tone of voice didn't change much but his body language did. He slumped just the tiniest bit.

“Yes. Out of bounds. But ... what do you know of a snake in the school?” Yusuke glowered at the professor.

“A snake? There's no snake in the school, apart from a few pets, in tanks.” He considered the question for a second. “No, there's no snakes. Now, come with me. I'll walk you back to your house.” 

Yusuke assessed Snape carefully. The man was frightened, just the tiniest bit, but he was. He hid it very well, but Yusuke was very good at body language and the professor's said something was very wrong. The fact that his robes were slightly rumpled and he was paler than usual with dark smudges under his eyes added to his suspicions.

“Nan da kor'ya? This sucks. There is something.” He glowered at Snape again. “Well, let's go then. I'm not going to fly to my house.”

“Be careful, boy. I'm not a nice man, no matter what you might think. And I'll take points. What the devil are you doing down here?” Snape seemed to recover himself somehow.

Yusuke moved so fast that Snape didn't have a chance. He grabbed the larger man and shoved him, face first, into the wall. “And I'm not a nice little boy. I'm ... something you really don't want to piss off. Now. We have two choices; one, you can treat me with respect and I'll return the favor, two, you can be an aho ...dumb ass ... and I'll break you. Do you understand me?”

Snape gulped, there was no way he could mistake the prick in his back for anything other than what it was. He couldn't believe he'd been so foolish. He knew that Harry Potter was Miyamoto Yusuke, a yakuza raised and trained killer. His sources had finally come through. He really had to quit letting his temper, and his mouth, run away with him. This boy was definitely not the soft, spoiled son of James Potter that he'd expected. He would have found it amusing that Yusuke had Lily's temper, if he wasn't staring death in the face.

“I apologize, Miyamoto-san, my temper ...” He took a deep breath. “There's been another petrification. A sixth year Ravenclaw. We need to go ... now.”

Yusuke stepped back quickly. “Che! This is not good. Come, we'll go now.” and with that he took off at a fast walk. Snape realized that he was going to have to stretch his long legs to keep up. “I don't like this. I hate not knowing things.”

They moved quickly and in silence. Harry relaxed a bit, listening carefully. “I don't hear anything.” He kept his voice so soft that Snape nearly didn't hear him.

“And what, might I ask, would you hear at this time of night?” Snape struggled to keep his tone marginally polite.

“Snape-san. This castle is full of noises but I keep hearing a snake. It's hungry ... and big. It makes me unhappy. And things that make me unhappy usually get killed. so...” he shrugged.

Snape sighed. “I see.” He stopped at the portrait. “Well, we're here. Get inside. And stay there. The night is far gone and even you need sleep. Keep your wandering fellows inside. For their sake.”

Harry looked at Snape for a moment. “I will. You take care of yourself.” He smirked up at the taller man. “Don't get yourself petrified.”

Snape gave Harry a bow, not low enough, but Harry bowed back. It was barely more than the inclination of his head, most definitely not that of a student to a sensei, more the bow of lord to minion. Snape didn't know the difference, but Harry did. He turned and stepped through the open portrait.

He slid into the room and sighed. The twins were waiting up for him.

He glared for a moment then snarled. “I don't have time or patience for you two right now. Go to bed.”

They looked at each other for a moment, still bald heads gleaming in the firelight. “Not yet. You heard something, what was it?”

Harry shook his head. “None of your business. And, believe me, if I find out that you've been poking around where you're not wanted, being bald will be the least of your problems.”

Fred poked George who nodded. He turned back to Harry and said, “We're trusting you with something very ... interesting.” He pulled a ragged piece of parchment out of his pocket and tapped it with his wand. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

Ink spread across the parchment and formed lines and words. Little dots danced across the map.

Harry's eyes widened. “Oh, this is good. Did you make it?”

George shook his head. “No, we filched it from ...” he snickered. “Filch. It's how we keep from getting caught. We looked at it just now. It showed you and Snape and Mrs. Norris. But nothing else. And we thought back carefully. When you caught us, we were checking to see if anyone was about. We were just about to unfold the map when you came in. I didn't see anything, except Mrs. Norris on your bed, and neither did Fred.” 

Harry thought about that for a moment. “So. It shows the cat, but not ... does it show magical animals and natural one's or only named animals.”

“Only named animals. Mrs Norris, Crookshanks, named owls like Errol. And there's bits of the school that aren't on it. We're not sure how, exactly, it was made but the Marauders did a very good job.”

“Sou ka.” He drew the words out as he contemplated his next move. “Marauders? Who were they?”

Fred pointed to the top of the map which gave the names Padfoot, Prongs, Mooney and Wormtail. “Don't know their real names, but they were brilliant. Everyone knows they were the pranksters supreme of their day. We still haven't out pranked them.”

Harry sighed. “See what else you can find out by watching that map. And stay the hell in the house after hours. There's been another petrification.” And with that he stormed up the stairs to his dorm, never thinking that the two might disobey him.

The next morning Dumbledore announced the new petrification. He also announced that no student under fifth year was to leave their house without the escort of a professor, prefect or head boy or girl. The other years were to travel in groups of no less than three. All students were restricted to their house, the library or the study hall from directly after supper until curfew, which was now at 10pm for all students.

Hermione was scandalized. How were they supposed to go to their juku?

Harry just smirked, then explained, “One, we're close enough to the house that we won't be in much danger. Two, we're sixth year and there's three of us. Four, if that idiot Weasley joins us. Which he might.”

Hermione winced. “Not a chance. He's too lazy. He won't care that he's failing something, he won't do more work than absolutely necessary.”

Both Harry and Neville shook their heads. Neville just remarked with his usually mildness, “I really can't be arsed to care much about him. He could be such a good friend, but he tends to lose his temper and say things he shouldn't and regrets later. He's also so damn fickle.” Neville crammed a roll into his mouth, then mumbled around it, “We've been over this before. I'm tired of him.”

Hermione shrugged, “I vote we forget him. He's mostly a nonentity.”

Harry agreed, remarking, “His temper is all fire and flash. Over in a second.”

Neville swallowed a bit thickly. “Yes, exactly. Not like ... um.” He rolled his eyes at Harry.

Harry just smirked, “Boku? Iie!” His expression of mock shock made both of his friends laugh.

Hermione shook her head. “I have a feeling that you losing your temper is something like a tsunami.” 

Neville agreed. “I'd rather face a dragon with a sore foot, thanks.”

They suffered through classes that day. Every single professor seemed to feel the need to give them some version of Dumbledore's orders, at length, with details. By the time lunch rolled around they were all ready to do something stupid. Instead, they bolted lunch and went outside.

The weather was holding nice, something very unusual for Scotland. But nice.

They wandered the grounds for a bit, until Neville exclaimed, “Oh! Yusuke, you should see the Whomping Willow. It's huge. A prime specimen, really.”

So they headed in that direction. Neville spent the short walk telling Yusuke all about the tree. He listened a bit absently. A tree that attacked people didn't seem like something safe to have on the grounds of a school full of curious, active children. But then, who was he to judge?

Neville was just pointing the tree out to Yusuke when Hermione sighed. She exclaimed, “What the devil is Hagrid up to now? We'd better go see, or he'll be in trouble again.”

Yusuke waved a hand. “You two go on. I don't know him so it might not be a good idea for me to be in on this.”

Neville and Hermione hurried off to stop the unseen, by Yusuke, Hagrid from doing whatever ill-advised thing they didn't approve of.

They were just out of sight in a small dip when Yusuke heard swearing coming from the big tree. This was unusual enough, it was even more so when the swearing was in Japanese.

“Oi!” Yusuke switched to Japanese himself. “Who's there?”

A vaguely familiar voice called back, “Sato, Miyamoto-san. Inside the tree.”

Yusuke blinked for a second then demanded, “What the hell are you doing inside that tree?”

“We came here from the House Of Swords, through the tunnel in the cellar. It comes out in the tree.”

“Well, come out then.” Yusuke watched expectantly until a sharp click sounded from within the tree.

A head emerged from a crack that opened in the trunk of the tree and a short, slender man followed quickly. Yusuke could dimly make out another, still inside the tree. The first man, Sato, examined the trunk carefully then turned and called, “Miyamoto-kumicho, do you think you can hit this knot with something?” 

Yusuke eyed it then replied simply, “Yes.”

The man popped back into the trunk, which closed behind him. The willow began to flail its limbs again.

Yusuke picked up a rock and threw it, hitting the knot squarely. The tree froze and the trunk opened again.

Yusuke couldn't help a quick grin. His way to his new house had been found. Now he had to find a way out to the tree, but that wasn't going to be that hard, after all, all he really had to do was climb down the side of the tower, which faced this part of the grounds. He'd take a good look at it a bit later. Right now, he was going to check out the tunnel between the tree and the house.

.

The tunnel proved to be exactly that, a tunnel. The floor was paved with uneven stones and the walls were just hard packed dirt. It was just like the old tunnels under the Miyamoto compound. Yusuke found it strangely soothing. The door at the other end let right into the cellar. He realized that it was the door he'd refused to check out when he'd bought the house. He was pleased.

He was even more pleased when he saw the house. It was clean, so clean that it sparkled. The wood work glowed with polish and the walls were newly papered and painted. He checked especially on the men's quarters. They'd taken the top floor and converted it into a barracks. Each man had a chest in which he kept his possessions, including a new, soft futon and attendant bed clothes. They were lined up neatly along the wall under the slope of the roof.

He also checked on his quarters. His rooms were so clean you could eat off any flat surface. His rooms were also traditionally furnished and painted in a shade of white usually called almond. His futon was rolled up on a shelf in the master closet. His sitting room held a writing desk, book case and a kotatsu, all in dark mahogany. A traditional Japanese low table lacquered in black and skirted with dark purple brocade was heated by a magical heater that wouldn't set it on fire. He was very pleased and said so. 

One of the men said, “Thank you, Miyamoto-kumicho. We fixed the ground floor up English, so visitors would be comfortable. We sort of hang out in the top.”

Yusuke nodded. “Good. You fix up a real sitting room for yourselves. That room across from my quarters is empty. Use it. If it's needed, I trust it'll be easy to redo.”

“Got it, boss.”

Yusuke thought for a moment, then ordered, “I also need Isho-Dansu, not Kaidan-dansu. Two, one in my bedroom and one in my sitting room. A Choba-dansu for business and ... that's it. I want to see the kitchen.”

He expressed his pride in their hard work, and elevated the older wakashu to So-honbucho. He ordered them to have a party, then left.

His trip back through the tunnel and into the tree didn't take long. He found the control to freeze the tree, tapped it with a finger then eased out.

A quick surveillance proved that he was alone in the field. He easily found the faint path and followed it back to Hogwarts. The tiny postern door led him into the cellars behind the kitchens. From there, it was easy to make his way up to the juku, bearing snacks. He was sure that Neville and Hermione were there, worrying about him, he was right.

Hermione lectured, which he ignored. Neville frowned at him which he met with a flat stare.  
.

Shizukani – shut up  
Shimatta – fuck  
Sore wa dokodesu ka? - where is it  
Nan da kor'ya? -- What the fuck is this?  
Che – damn  
Boku? Iie! - Me? No!  
Kaidan-dansu – step chest  
Isho-dansu – clothing chest  
choba-dansu – merchants chest – has special drawers and cubbies for ledgers, brushes and ink stones


	13. Chapter 13

Harry finally calmed Hermione down, and they returned to their studies. They worked in silence until Hermione finally shut her books and announced, “Well, we better head back for the common room before curfew.”

Harry agreed and nudged Neville, who was dozing with his cheek on his desk. “Neville. Wake up.” 

“Huh? ... Oh, damn, sorry. I finished my essay and just dozed off, I guess.” Neville rubbed at the mark sleeping on a book had left on his face.

Hermione just took his hand and hauled him out the door. Harry followed after with a slight smile on his face. Hermione was a formidable girl, smart, stubborn and opinionated. But she was beginning to learn the basics of sociability, at last.

They split up in the common room, Hermione headed for her room, while Neville and Harry climbed the stairs to theirs.

Mrs. Norris scampered up with them, dodging Neville's stumbling feet.

Ron, hearing the clatter, stuck his head out of his bed curtains to say, “Hi! Tell Granger that I tried that spell. Works like a charm. Ol' Norris sniffed my bed, then turned right around and went back down the stairs. Brilliant. She still likes Seamus' bed though. Night.” and with that he pulled his curtains shut.

Harry pushed Neville toward his bed. “Go to sleep, you can shower and all that in the morning. After our workout.”

Neville groaned a bit at that, but obediently stripped down to his boxers and crawled into his bed. Harry followed, but sat up, reading, until after three. He had slept nearly five hours yesterday, and wasn't a bit sleepy now.   
.

Breakfast the next morning was interesting, in a way. Harry found out that everyone freaked out at the mention of the name 'Voldemort'.

“Hermione, does Voldemort ...” Harry didn't get any farther. Ron gasped as if he'd slapped the Queen. A first year fainted and two third years burst into tears. “Holy fuck! Nani? Nan da kor'ya? Anata wa kureijīda?”

Hermione just sighed, “English, Yusuke.”

Yusuke just snarled at her wordlessly.

Neville said, with remarkable calm, “We don't use his name. Most wizards say, He Who Must Not Be Named or You Know Who.”

Yusuke snorted. “Chicken shits, the lot of you. If you're scared of his name, what are you going to do if you're actually faced with the baka.”

Hermione muttered, “Wet themselves, most likely.” 

Ron turned so pale that his freckles stood out like shit on a fence. “Um... die?”

Yusuke turned such a fierce glower on him that he cringed.

“Baka!”

Hermione just patted him on the arm. “Never mind. They're all like that ... or worse. You'll just get upset, hot and sweaty before class. Here. Have some tea.”

Yusuke forced himself to calm down. It wouldn't do to lose his temper here. His father wouldn't like it. And he knew better than to lose his temper to no good purpose.

“Ok, fine. Idiots. Really, are they all crazy?”

“No, just scared. It's really pathetic. Grown men and women screaming and cringing at a name. And a made up one at that. I mean Voldemort? Really!”

Harry translated from his nearly non-existent French into Japanese and got, “Fart? How is that scary? Other than if Kuma eats Natto and drinks beer.”

Hermione nearly hurt herself, laughing. Neville just waited for it.

“No, silly. It means Wind of Death? Or Flight of Death. Depending on who you talk to. Stupid, really.” Hermione accepted the tissue Yusuke offered and wiped her eyes.

“Oh.” Yusuke's flat, single word made it clear that he thought the whole thing wasn't worth the effort. “Well, Nanashi will have to get over himself. Flight from Death more like it, I think.”

Hermione stopped at that as she translated. “Oh, yes. Excellent. You better eat quickly or we'll be late ... and over this silliness, no less.”

Harry calmed down, ate quickly and they headed off to class.

Since it was History, all they had to do was answer as a prefect took attendance then either study history or go do something else. Harry suggested finding some real history to study; outside Hogwarts: A History, he'd never read English Magical History. They descended on Madam Pince for books and got a blank look and the demand, “Why on earth would you need more than the approved reading? Are you writing an essay?”

Harry immediately announced, “Yes, since Binns was ...” he waved a hand, “dismissed? We have to study ourselves, you know? So we decided to find something a bit more comprehensive than the class books. We do have to pass a NEWT next year.”

Madam Pince sniffed a bit disapprovingly, but pointed to a whole rank of bookcases. “All the history books are in the first two six foot sections. See that you put things back where you got them.” She then marched off to quiet a group of second years whose giggling was getting loud. 

Hermione settled at a table close to the books. She took a moment to immerse herself in the smell of old parchment, dust, leather and glue. And the quiet, now that the giggling idiots had taken themselves out. She was glad that Madam Pince didn't allow the application of makeup or perfume inside the room.

Harry scowled for a moment while she was doing this then said, “I wonder if we could get hold of some old NEWT tests. See what's on them. It would help study for them.”

Hermione nodded. “Like practice tests for the GCSE's. That's a good idea. But how ...”

Harry waved that away. “Leave that to me. I'll get several years worth.”

“How?” Hermione gnawed her lip for a moment then glanced at a smirking Harry. “Oh ... well, never mind. What should we read first?”

Most of the conversation had gone over Neville's head, he had no idea how you would practice for a test, but this caught his attention. His exclamation of, “Nothing to do with Goblins, please.” made all three of them laugh.

Hermione found several books of interest to her, dragged them all back to the table and handed one to Neville. “Here, read this. Yusuke, this one.”

Yusuke accepted the book with a bored look. “And how am I to read this? It's in English and I don't think Madam would appreciate me translating it to Japanese.”

Hermione blinked. “And why not?”

“Spell only works one way, once.” Yusuke pulled something from his bag and put it on the table. “I have some dispatches to read.”

Neville immediately looked sympathetic. To him, dispatches meant family business, which he wasn't comfortable with, yet.

Hermione sighed. “If the spell works one way, once, how have you been reading your subject books?”

“They're mine, so I spelled them. And some other books as well. The rest of my books are from Japan and all dispatches are in Japanese, of course.”

“Oh, well. How are you going to study without books. You surely can't afford to buy dozens of research books and translate them all.” Hermione gazed around with an expression of longing which Yusuke recognized as envy.

“My family has hundreds of very old books. I can get copies of them easily. And my private library is large. I don't think I'll have too much trouble with essays. Although, professors who won't or can't use a translation spell might have some trouble.” He smirked, he was writing all his essays in grass script. A type of running script that was popular amongst yakuza. Let them all deal with that. And he wasn't accepting any mark down, he completed the work up to his own standard, it was up to the professors to read it.

While Harry read dispatches, Neville worried at something. He finally worked up nerve enough to ask.

“Yusuke? Nanashi? What's that mean?” 

Yusuke gave him a kindly look. “It means no name. Sort of like calling him John Bastard. Unworthy of a name.”

Hermione nodded. “That's right, as far as I can figure out. Like calling a disowned person by their first name and giving them the last name of Nameless. Because of being disowned, see?”

Neville grinned, the sort of evil smile that sat oddly on his usually pleasant face. “I see. I like it. Nanashi. Good. He's not worthy of a proper name. Evil, dark wizard. Meh!”

Harry snorted, “I think the proper appellation is poseur? My French sucks. But we'd call him a wanna be. What's he actually done lately?”

Hermione really didn't know, neither did Neville. Harry went back to his dispatches while Neville stuck his nose in the book Hermione had given him. Hermione spread out over half the table, sitting at one end, and started reading a book and taking notes.

This lasted for about half an hour, until Harry started laughing. He put down his letter and dropped his head onto the table, snickering loudly.

Hermione reached out and snagged the page. “May I? I'd really like to see what's so funny.” she held the page carefully, waiting for permission to read it.

Harry looked up at her, giving her a sharp look, “You can't tell anyone what's in there. I really shouldn't let you see it but ... call it a test, if you will.”

Hermione nodded. “Not a word to anyone. I swear.” She turned her gaze to the parchment and started to read.

After a moment, she looked up. “This is...” her eyes went wide and she returned to the page to reread. She was torn between horror and some sort of fascination.

“Yes, it's a ... I don't know the English. We call it a Korosu tame ni raisensu, a license to kill. Or a nōto do hitto, if you're crude. I issue a Ronbun, send it to...” he grinned. “myself. And that's it.”

“A Ronbun? A paper? I ... oh, this is all too confusing for me. But ... this ...” she waved a hand. “This is brilliant. If you can slip it by the minister.” She never really considered what they were actually talking about.

Neville, however, did. He knew that Yusuke was yakuza. He also knew what a yakuza was, due to his trip to Japan on family business with his uncle. He wondered, absently, if his fugu poisoning was an accident or his uncle just didn't get enough poison into him.

Yusuke smirked at Neville and took the page from Hermione. “No one, you understand?” Hermione nodded. Yusuke handed the page to Neville.

Neville, who was much more aware of what actual legal documents looked like; read, gulped, reread and put it down with a cold hand that shook so hard the thick, creamy parchment rattled. “Ok. That's ... really scary.” 

“I'm a scary sort of person.” His charming smile didn't reach his eyes, which only emphasized his words. Harry returned to his reading after tucking the page away carefully. He was just hoping that letting his friends? Yes, his friends, in on this wasn't going to be a mistake. But he didn't want Hermione nosing about where she wasn't welcome. Nor did he want Neville, as a dorm mate, out of the loop. A curious question from him could cause all sorts of problems. On the other hand, they could both supply alibis, smoke screens and other help when needed.

He did have to chuckle a bit more, now and then, as he realized the scope of his bargain. He was basically without hinderance of any kind, from anyone, anytime. He was the freest of free agents. And he was getting paid for it. Neville didn't seem too worried by his cart blanche, while Hermione just seemed not to really understand what it was. Life was good. 

.

Defense was a disaster as Lockhart managed to drag a protesting student into helping him demonstrate a passage from one of his books. This resulted in the student making a trip to the hospital while the rest of the class read the next book in the series. Those who were either stupid or suck ups.

The rest didn't bother sneaking out, they just left. Most, like the Yusuke-gumi, as Hermione dubbed them, went to lunch early. The rest hid out to neck, or returned to their dorms for one reason or another.

One of the people who returned to the dorms was Ron. And he decided that, as he didn't have anything more interesting to do, he'd try to crack Harry's trunk. Why? Even he wasn't sure. But his attempts to break into the closed trunk resulted in him being stuck to the wall opposite the trunk. He was glad that Hermione had managed to persuade Harry that leaving his trunk set to kill wasn't nice. It was just set so that anyone touching it was stuck to the wall until he, Harry, decided to return to the dorm.

He hoped it would be soon as being stuck to a wall made things ride up in a very uncomfortable way. He tried to wriggle out of his robes but that wasn't on. He fumed silently, face turning red. He knew he was wrong but that didn't make the embarrassment any easier to bear. 

Potions turned out to be a bit lecture, a bit warning and mostly boring. Harry zoned out until he heard his 'real' name being called.

“Miyamoto Yusuke-san! Pay attention!”

Harry blinked once, slowly, “I apologize, Snape-Kyōju, what was it you were asking?”

“I asked, now that we have your attention, whether there were any differences in brewing between England and Japan.” Snape sneered.

“Ah! Not particularly. We don't used fancy caldrons like gold and silver. Some potions must be brewed in a noble metal but those are almost always left to proper brewers. Household brewing is restricted to common things, like Pepper-up, cleaning potions and such." Harry glanced at Hermione who was biting her lip to keep from blurting out something ill-advised.

Harry waited to see if this would satisfy the professor. It seemed it did, or assuaged his need to pick on everyone in the class.

The last few minutes of class were an assignment of 24" on effects of noble metals vs. common on potions and six chapters of the book for next period.

As Harry was gathering up his things, Snape barked, "Miyamoto-san, stay after." then he went to sit behind his desk.

Hermione glanced at Harry, who gave her a bland look back. Neville just muttered, "Tough luck, mate." and scurried after her.

Snape found that sitting down had been a tactical mistake. It put him slightly lower than his student's eye level and trapped him with his legs in the knee hole of the desk. He now found himself looking up at Yusuke, who had settled on one hip on the desk. This also effectively blocked him in between Yusuke and the wall. He couldn't believe he'd been that stupid.

"Yes, Snape-san? You wished something?" Yusuke gave Snape a bland, blank green stare and waited. 

Snape stared back, black eyes just as blank. He could practically smell the power flowing off this boy. "I know who and what you are. I ... I don't want any part of this. Dumbledore won't let me quit, nor will ..." 

Yusuke held up a hand. "Don't hurt yourself. Nanashi will not let you go, perhaps. But ... I might be able to work something out with Ojiisan Agohigi." He smirked a bit. "You will notice that I use the Western order of preference?" Snape gulped and nodded. This wasn't the compliment most would think it was. "Good. This depends on what you can offer in trade."

Snape sighed. "I can offer potions. And knowledge. Ask and I will try to answer."

"Good enough. Do change your attitude toward me. As to others, you'll do as you please. I don't care." Yusuke glanced at Snape. Something was tugging at his magical awareness.

Snape shifted uncomfortably, then started to push his chair back. The move startled Yusuke, who pinned Snape to the wall with a glare and a quickly drawn tanto. "Be still."

Snape jerked reflexively while Yusuke gripped his left arm to still him before he cut his throat. He didn't want any accidents; if he killed someone, he wanted it to be on purpose. This conflict of actions resulted in Snape's coat sleeve ripping.

Yusuke glanced down at the partially ripped sleeve and froze. "You fool." Snape snarled wordlessly. Yusuke tucked his tanto away then grabbed Snape's arm.

Professor Snape tried to pull away, but found that the boy was much stronger than he would have suspected. "Be still, I said." Yusuke finished revealing the mark on Snape's arm. "This is how he controls and communicates with you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "Even Yakuza do not use such foulness." He pinned Snape with a sharp look. "And this from one who is not squeamish. You'll do well to be wary of my father. He takes such things much amiss. Now, brewing is all well and good. Information is much better. I have a little essay for you." Snape gave him an incredulous look. "Yes. Write down everything you know about every Shi No Taberu you know."

Snape didn't bother to ask for a translation. The only information he had that this fierce eyed boy would be interested in was about Death Eaters. "Very well. How soon do you want it ... within reason."

"How quickly can you have it?" Yusuke wasn't interested in a half done job.

"I have notes ... personal notes. A week? Ten days, tops." Snape hung on Yusuke's lips, hoping for some mercy. 

"Ten days. I don't want a fuckup. I need real intel. And use a damn ball point. On paper. This parchment and quill shit is stupid."

And with that, Yusuke sauntered to his desk to pick up his bag. He turned to say, "You answer to me now. And ... loyalty will be rewarded. Remember that, Gaki."

Snape watched him out the door, wishing he'd followed his first impulse; which was to head for the wilds of the Yukon, or some other out of the way place.

.

Harry was sure that Snape would kick over his traces soon; but, if he could get the information he'd requested before then, he'd be satisfied. After all, he was a free agent, which meant he could torment Snape without repercussions. Unless it convinced Dumbledore to expel him, in which case he could go home without penalty. 

Of course, the second he cleared the door, Hermione pounced him. "What did he want? Are you in trouble? What did you do?"

Neville tugged at her arm. "Hermione! One at a time."

Harry laughed lightly. "He wanted an out. I'm not in trouble. Threatened him with a tanto, tore his sleeve and gave him an assignment." He patted Hermione on the shoulder. "So, now I'm hungry. Let's go see if the kitchen elves will make us a snack."

Hermione gave a little scream of frustration. "Yusuke-kun!"

Harry replied in an amused tone, "Don't whine, it doesn't suit you." then he ambled off, heading for the kitchens. 

Neville followed while Hermione stood for a moment, trying to get her temper under control. She let out a short squeal when Professor Snape opened the door behind her and demanded, "Stop blocking the door, you stupid thing."

She cast a horrified look over her shoulder, then scurried off for the library. She still wanted to research what could possibly be causing the petrifications.

Severus Snape, for his part, looked at his torn sleeve. He gently plucked something from it. A single hair, dark and long; but with surprising glints of auburn. This would have been strange to anyone but someone who remembered the young man's mother. A mother who had brilliant auburn hair. Auburn, not the vulgar carroty red of some people.

.

Neville and Harry made it to the kitchens without incident, finagled the elves into giving them snacks, not that that was difficult, and sneaked up to the juku to eat in peace.

Neville settled at one of the central tables and poured tea. "Here. Now, tell me. What did you do to Snape?"

Harry lit a cigarette then told him everything, ending, "So, he is marked. How the hell could such a proud man allow someone to mark him like a cow? Doesn't make sense. And it's not even nice looking. Looks like a shit tat. Seriously, if someone had messed up one of my tattoo's that badly, I'd still be torturing them." 

Hermione mouthed, "Tatoos" then vowed to get a look at them soon.

Neville shrugged then mumbled around a mouthful of sashimi, "Well, Nanashi was never known for his good taste. Really, look at who he consorts with. Mostly low class bums and beggars. The sort that good people cross the street to avoid."

Harry sighed. "I'm the sort of person good people cross the street to avoid. That's why I was home schooled." He still found it irritating that he hadn't been able to attend public school because of the principal's attitude.

Neville shook his head. "No. You're the sort that people cross the street to avoid because you're dangerous. Not because you're filthy and ignorant." He grinned slightly. "Big difference." 

"Hm. I see. But I thought Nanashi had gathered pure-bloods around him?"

"No ... well, yes, he did. But not the sort that truly proper people deal with. Malfoy, for one, is an arrogant, sadistic ass. He bribes his way into power then doesn't know what to do with it. His biggest push so far has been to get a lot of laws passed that drive muggle born back into the muggle world. He mostly uses it to keep that idiot Draco out of trouble. And interbred doesn't quite describe him, but it's close."

Harry nodded and lit another cigarette. "I see. So he is ruthless but scattered. He has no true objective other than to enhance himself and his family. Where is the profit in that?"

Neville thought about that for a moment. "None that I can see. But since Nanashi got his body back, he's become ... desperate, for lack of a better explanation. The LeStranges, related to him through marriage, are dragging him down. They do something outrageous and he has to hustle to cover for them. Bella is Nanashi's favorite. She's crazy." 

Harry noticed that Neville was looking distressed for some reason so he changed the subject to studying for their History NEWT. They discussed various methods for studying for them. Harry finally decided that taking several practice tests, proctored by Hermione, would be their best bet. That way they'd know what to expect on the test and how to study for their weaknesses.

After that, Harry settled to practice his koto while Neville just relaxed and listened to the unusual instrument.

They both lost themselves in the music until a soft, "A-hem." caught their attention. "Sorry. I hope I didn't make you jump. It's nearly dinner time." Hermione dropped her book bag on her desk, then turned to look at the koto. "Oh! A koto." She sighed softly. "I'd love to hear you play but ... we don't have time right now. We better go. You know they're holding meals down to an hour and a half. Especially dinner."

Harry nodded, lit a cigarette and grumbled, "That's so no one will linger too long. They want everyone in the dorms or a safe location, not wandering around."

Neville shook his head. "Not that it's doing much good. There's been another petrification."

Harry raised an eye brow. "Yes?"

"One of the house elves. I only found out because Seamus was complaining about it. Seems the elves won't leave the kitchens now. At least, not in groups of less than five or six." Neville shrugged. "I don't blame them. I bet ... a house elf would be a good meal for something." His pained, appalled look matched Harry's feelings.

Hermione looked vaguely horrified. Harry just snorted. "But it isn't eating anything. It's just petrifying them. I don't like not knowing things. Hermione? Have you figured out anything?" He raised and eyebrow in an inquiring manner. 

Hermione sighed. "No, Madam Pince put most of the books I want in the restricted section. I'm not even allowed to look at them." She scowled at that thought then added, "No one is. I really wonder what the Professors are trying to hide."

Harry smoked in silence while he thought. "Give me a list of the books you want. I'll get them for you. Don't let anyone else see them."

Hermione started to protest this but Neville cut her off, saying, "Hermione, think. If anyone else finds out you've got certain books, where do you think they'd wind up? Certainly not in the possession of the proper owners."

Hermione sighed. "You're right. I've seen books in Dumbledore's library that have the Black family seal on the spine and Potter." She scowled at her note book. "Ol' sticky fingers."

Harry ran his fingers through his hair, dislodging a few things. He snarled and undid his pony tail, dumping the bits and pieces from it onto the table. Hermione picked up a lump of clay like substance and started to knead it absently.

Neville watched with some irritation. This was serious business and Hermione was playing with muggle toys. "Hermione, pay attention. Put that away."

Harry had watched Hermione with some amusement. The C-4 was harmless in this form, nothing would set it off, short of aimed magic ... or a detonator. Now, he just reached out and plucked it out of her fingers. "Not a toy. C-4 is definitely not a toy." He tossed it into the air and snatched it back again.

Hermione turned pale then demanded, "How the hell did you get ahold of that? Are you crazy?" She absently rubbed her hands on her robes.

"Some people say so. As to how I got it? My brother, Ichigo, gave it to me. I usually carry some with me. And detonators, prima cord and a few other goodies. But ... that's a secret. Yes?" He gazed from Hermione to Neville then back.

Hermione bit her lip for a moment then gave up. "Ok. But if you blow up Snape, I get to watch."

Neville sighed, "Ok. What's C- what you said. And why is it such a big deal to have it?"

Hermione just explained, "C-4. It's a muggle explosive. And having it without a license is against at least a half a dozen laws."

Harry just gave her a Yusuke smirk and drawled, "And I care about English law? Why? Remind me."

Hermione just sighed. "Never mind. Just don't blow me up."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Remember that it's in my hair." He returned the last of his things to his hair and smirked at Hermione. "No reference?"

Hermione snorted. "I think I should keep my mouth shut on that one. But if there's lock picks in there, I'm ... I'm not sure."

Harry snickered softly. "I need lock picks? When there's unlocking spells."

"Oh, yes. Alohomora is so useful. NOT." She distinctly remembered an instance when she'd needed it and it had failed her.

"That weak thing? I think not. I'll teach you an ofuda that never fails."

Harry was glad to see that Hermione was now willing to let things go. Neville was clueless and Harry intended to keep him that way. It was bad enough that Neville knew what he did.

He spent the next half hour teaching Hermione how to draw the kanji and make an ofuda. Just like last time, parchment wouldn't activate the ofuda. Harry thought that was because it was in conflict with Shinto principles, being made from skin. She finally succeeded.

Shortly after that, Hermione decided to go up to bed. It was a bit early, but she'd been researching their petrifying pest late last night, and gotten a scold from McGonagall for stretching herself too thin.

Harry went up to the boy's dorm, followed shortly by Neville. Ron, Dean and Seamus were up there already. Dean and Seamus were amusing themselves by throwing things at Ron, who was stuck to the wall and complaining bitterly about it.

Dean noticed Harry first. "Harry! Guess what?"

Harry eyed Ron as he realized that he'd missed Potions class. Snape hadn't said anything about it; but, on second thought, he might have. Harry hadn't noticed as he'd had his mind on other things. 

So, now, he had a situation to deal with. "I don't have to guess." He glowered at Ron as he lit a cigarette. "How long have you been there?"

Ron flushed then paled. "Since the end of Defense. Will you please get me down from here?"

"Why should I? You seem comfortable enough. You were warned, you know." Yusuke smoked for a moment, then shrugged and gestured with one hand.

Ron fell to the floor with a groan. He was stiff from being in the same position for so long. He struggled to his feet and scampered for the loo. It had been nearly six hours after all. 

Yusuke just eyed his retreating back for a moment. He glanced at Neville. "Remind me why I tolerate him."

Neville just snorted. "Because it's rude to kill your dorm mates. It gets you talked about and your Chichi-ue wouldn't like it." He waggled one eyebrow, grinning.

"I say Chichi-ue, you say Otousan. But ... you are right. Chichi-ue wouldn't like it. And it would make a mess." Harry calmed down, finished his cigarette in one last, long drag and settled at his desk. "Well, he didn't even scuff the wards. I have an essay due next Herbology period, so I better get on it." 

Neville, who had the same essay due in two days, just nodded. "Me too. And, for once, I haven't even started on it. But ... if you need some help, just ask."

"Arigato, Neville-kun."

They all spent the rest of the evening in study, Seamus and Dean reminded that they too had that essay to do. Ron returned from the loo and climbed into his bed with a groan and pulled the covers over his head. When he started snoring, Dean pulled his curtains and Harry tossed an ofuda on them that silenced the chain-saw like sound perfectly.

.

Neville finished his essay and went to bed after giving Harry a speaking look. Dean and Seamus followed soon after. Harry continued to read until he was sure they were asleep, then, he opened a different compartment of his trunk, got out what he required and slipped out.

He had wondered for quite some time, why no one apparated or portkeyed from one class to another, and Hermione had been glad to fill him in. A few surreptitious experiments had proven that she was right. Neither mode of transportation would work. And there were no floos active except for one in the Headmaster's office.

He had found a way out of the school, so he used that. He was going to try to fold but didn't want to do that while Dumbledore was in the school. All his other experiments had been done while the man was absent, so as not to draw his attention.

The Whomping Willow calmed to a poke with a long stick, and Yusuke entered the tunnel to Ken No Ie and hurried along it. He entered the basement, calling out, "Tadaima!"

He was immediately swarmed by three men, who all bowed, chanting, "Welcome! Welcome! Come have some tea!"

He waved them away irritably, grumbling, "Idiots! I don't have time for that. I have to go steal something. Get out of the way!"

None of the men took this amiss, just scrambling out of his way, with exclamations of, "Hai! Hai! Moshiwaki, kumicho."

Yusuke just snarled, "Sorry, sorry. You sure are. Come on."

No one bothered to get mad, the young boss had something on his mind and things to do. Instead of being insulted they just scrambled around to find the equipment and clothing the kumicho demanded.

It didn't take them long to get him outfitted in black from head to toe; black jeans, t-shirt, boots, and a small bag. He pulled a piece of string from it and created a portkey with a wave of his hand.

The port key took him to the Atrium of the Ministry, from there he just walked to the Department of Magical Education, Testing Division office. It didn't take him long to riffle the files and find what he wanted. The drawer labeled 'Tests' held several years worth of master tests. He helped himself to copies of them all. It took him half an hour of steady work, and he was really surprised that no one caught him. It seemed that there were no guards about this time of night. He was actually a bit disgusted. 

Since it was so late, he decided to fold back to Ken No Ie. It was a good way to find out if the wards would even notice. If he set off alarms at the Ministry, it didn't make any difference. Let the Gaijin Okami run around like ants, trying to find who had set off their wards. He dropped the ofuda bug and folded home. He stood in the main room for a moment then smiled. The bug was happily silent and would be swept up as trash in the morning.

He accepted tea and snacks, complimented his men on how clean the house was and returned to his dorm and bed. He was asleep by 3am and would sleep until 7am, awaking rested and ready for his morning workout.

.

Herbology went quickly, thanks to Neville. Their essays were handed in to him. He passed them to Professor Sprout, his on top.

She took one look at it and insisted on reading it to the class. This took all hour. Hermione didn't even take notes, whispering to Neville, "I need a copy, please." Neville nodded then perched on a stool in the corner and promptly dozed off. The rest of the class did much the same, even Harry.

Defense was even worse than last time. Lockhart insisted that Harry help him act out a scene from Ambling with Onnas.

This led to Yusuke pulling a fan from his mallet space and hiding behind it. It took Lockhart several minutes of coaxing and pouting to convince him to come out from behind it. Lockhart flicked his guinea gold hair back from his forehead, silently envying Harry his long sleek braid. Then Lockhart put his arm around Yusuke's shoulders, as if he was really a girl. The resultant smack echoed around the room. 

"No touch. Hentai." Yusuke glowered. "You walk with me like a gentleman, one step behind. The women you hung around with in Japan must have been whores, not geisha. Pig." Several Gryffindors started snickering softly.

"Now see here. The ladies I met were very nice. They were the people who led me to the onnas I fought." Lockhart was indignant; and, as usual, wrong.

"Onnas are women. Oni are demons, and I doubt that you ever even saw one." At this the class picked up their snickers a bit.

By now, even the Slytherins were laughing. Lockhart decided to cut his losses and pick another victim. "Mr Potter, two detentions and twenty points for disrespecting a Professor."

Yusuke just smirked. "No." He returned to his seat as Lockhart sputtered.

Hermione hid her laughter behind a book, Ron looked like he couldn’t decide whether to laugh or not while Neville plainly laughed behind his sleeve. None of them believed for one second that Harry was actually going to serve the detention.

When Lockhart called Malfoy up to be his 'partner' the whole class froze.

Draco was wise enough to see the possibility of currying favor with a professor. He was not wise enough to ignore it.

He went to the front of the room and stood while Lockhart swanned around telling Draco where to stand and what to do. Draco obediently took his stance as a demon about to attack. He cast the requested light ball, which was to represent the hex the demon used. Lockhart responded with a dramatic, incoherent shout.

This resulted in Draco being hexed with some unidentifiable spell. Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Knot got the unenviable task of taking him to the infirmary. Class was dismissed early, again.

Harry snorted softly. "Idiot. I'm glad I have my fan. I am seriously considering keeping it up my sleeve."

Ron jumped on that one with glee. "A fan! You big girl. What are you doing with a fan, of all things."

Hermione hid behind Neville. "This is not going to turn out well."

Neville just sighed and whispered back. "No shit."

Yusuke gave them one look then snapped the fan out of his sleeve, opening it with a flick of his wrist.

The fan glittered oddly in the flickering torchlight of the corridor. Another flick and it snapped shut.

Ron eyed the thing for a moment then gulped. "That ... that's got steel in it."

"Yes. And a wired edge. A poke ..." Yusuke jabbed the fan in the direction of Ron's Adams apple. "and you are not going to be talking. Permanently. Or breathing." Yusuke made his decision. "I'd advise being careful around me. I'm not sure I like you much."

Ron, realizing that he'd lost any chance with Harry, sighed softly. "Well ... um ..." He shook his head. "Sorry." He turned and walked away, shoulders stiff. 

"That went better than expected. He's a ham handed idiot." Hermione offered carefully, "I really think he was trying to tease you, but ..."

Yusuke shrugged. "I don't react well to most teasing, as I find it infantile and irritating. Very few people actually manage to do it without insulting me. So ... lunch." He lit a cigarette as he walked away.

Neville just grumbled, "Now he'll be a bitch all through lunch. I just hope the elves offer something he really likes, or he'll be pissy all afternoon."

"No kidding." Hermione hitched her book bag up on her shoulder and sighed. "The feather light charm is fading again. Come on."

Neville just took her bag and added the burden to his own. "Give me that! Cast a new charm on it when we get to lunch."

"Thanks, Neville." Hermione frowned as they hurried after Yusuke. "I hate it when he gets like that. I'd ... well, Shinigami is close when he goes all cold like that. And that is not a good thing."

"I'm not sure where you get all this stuff from, nor who this Shinagami is. But, when Harry goes all cold, as you call it, someone could get really hurt if he loses control."

Hermione decided she'd better give Neville a head's up. "Um ... you know those books I hide?" Neville nodded. "They're manga. Japanese books, cartoons, sort of. And during break I watch anime. Well, so does Yusuke. He took some of the stuff he saw in them and ... made it happen. And Shinagami ... or a Shinagami, shi no kami there's a lot of different ways to pronounce it ... is a God of Death. A very dangerous sort."

Neville just sighed. "Well, shit."

"Yeah."

.

Harry was calmly eating his lunch by the time they scrambled over the bench to sit on either side of him.

Hermione cast her feather light charm when Neville reminded her.

"Why don't we see if we can't do something more permanent later?" Harry glanced at her questioningly, then frowned, "I seem to remember those bags were to have permanent spells on them. What happened?"

Neville laughed at that, earning himself a slight frown from Harry and a smack on the shoulder from Hermione. "Sorry. It's just that, she stuffs so much into the bags that no spell can keep up. I bet she has half a library in there." He poked her in the short ribs, making her giggle. "We really ought to empty it out and see if there's a family of bookworms living in there." 

"You! I'll fix you. See if I help you with research next time." But her smile showed that she didn't really mean it.

Harry laughed softly. "Deal. And I have a surprise for you both. Something useful."

Hermione immediately demanded to see now, but Harry refused, easily fending off her demands with mysterious smiles.

They managed Runes and Arithmancy without incident, for which Hermione and Neville were thankful. Yusuke was in a dangerous mood, and neither one of them really wanted to experience a full out explosion. Both professors seemed to realize that something had happened, and were careful with him.

They found out later that Draco would be in the infirmary for at least two weeks so all the professors were being a bit careful with all students. Surprisingly, even Snape was taking a stance of hands off with the students. Having a member of a well respected, high ranking House hexed by a professor had them all on edge.

Except for Lockhart, who was proclaiming to anyone who would listen that he could clear it up in a moment if only Madam Pomfrey would let him into the infirmary to do so.

Dinner didn't go well at all.

.

Harry led Hermione and Neville to their juku directly after dinner.

He closed the door and put his bag down on one of the middle tables. "See what I have." His pleased smirk made Hermione flinch. "It's nothing bad, I swear."

Hermione picked up one of the folders and opened it. "Practice tests! Where did you get them?"

"From the Ministry." Harry managed to look insufferably pleased with himself with a cigarette in his mouth.

Neville frowned in puzzlement. "I didn't think the ministry gave out things like that."

"Who said they gave them out?"

Hermione gulped. "You stole them, didn't you?"

"I never said that. And I'll deny it to anyone who asks."

Neville just gave up. "So, anyway. What do we do with them?"

Hermione gave up too. She realized that she really didn't care. "Just do not get caught. I'll be very unhappy with you if you do."

Yusuke just shrugged. "So would my father."

Hermione turned to Neville to explain. "The first thing we do is take one of each of the tests we're interested in taking for real. Then we grade them. That will tell us where we are weak, so we can study up on those bits. Then we take a more advanced test and do it all over again."

Yusuke interjected, "I don't think there are more advanced tests than what I got. I'm sure there are more advanced tests out there, but not for NEWTS. Maybe for an apprenticeship."

Hermione nodded at that. "I think you're right. So ... we take the test available and work from there. Let me see what you got."

Harry slid the pile across the table. "I got one of every test in the file cabinet. That should give us a good idea what's on the tests. I wish I knew some way to collate it all."

Hermione waved a hand absently. "I know a spell. All it can really do is eliminate duplications then transfer all questions to another parchment, or a notebook ... but that ought to do nicely. Then we'd have a master test of all the questions asked on any of the tests. Each subject separately?" 

Neville nodded. "Yes, please. I have no intention of taking an OWL or NEWT in Divination."

Harry just glanced at him. "And why not?"

"No talent for it. Nor do I have an eye." He shrugged.

Hermione bit her lip as she thought about that. "I think we all should take it. Easy O, you see. You don't have to have the 'eye' ..." she made air quotes with her fingers. "to understand the theory. And reading cards, bones or runes is just interpreting the throw of the dice so to speak."

Yusuke nodded. "That's right. So, what do you want us to do?"

"Pile each subject in its own pile on top of ... whatever you want to copy the results to, then get out of the way. I'll cast the spell on the whole table and that'll be it. Results should be ready in the morning."

Harry nodded. "In that case I suggest a night off. Tomorrow is Saturday, so we take that off too. Sunday afternoon, we get caught up on all our homework. I don't have much." He consulted his planner. "Arithmancy and ... Herbology. Arithmancy is practice problems and Herbology is reading. I'm already ahead on all the reading, including the stuff that was suggested but not required. Defense is a disaster ... what the hell was Dumbledore thinking?"

Neville shrugged. "Probably that even Lockhart was better than whoever the ministry would force on us."

Hermione just sighed. "I swear ... if I wasn't a nice girl, I'd declare a prank war on him."

Yusuke just smirked at her. "I'm not a nice ... anything, or one. Prank war it is." 

Neville shuddered. "I just want to know why the twins haven't gotten on him yet."

Hermione knew. "They begged off him as too soft a target. I bet if I made puppy eyes at them, they'd start in on him anyway."

Harry smoked for a moment. "I think that would be very nice of you. I'm afraid that, if I started in on him, I'd go way too far. Flaying charms are about my speed."

Hermione made a disgusted face. "And just ... ick. I'll see if I can't run George down." Since they were done sorting, she waved her wand over the table, mumbling. "There. I'll check it in the morning. We probably should lock the door so that no one disturbs the table."

They left, leaving Yusuke behind long enough to lock the doors with ofuda. No one in the castle, outside of Dumbledore, was strong enough to unlock it.

.

Hermione threw herself down on the couch next to a twin, she wasn't sure which one it was yet. It wasn't easy to tell them apart, but Fred was the one to speak first, usually. George was a bit more freckled.

She gave her companions a quick glance then settled down to deal. "Ok. Lockhart went way too far. I don't care if it was Malfoy, a teacher hexing a student is just too much. Or am I wrong?"

"Not wrong. We've been thinking, Twin and I." The twin, now revealed as George, turned to look at her. "We think he needs to be pranked, hard."

Harry just tossed something at him. George caught it easily. "If you need more, ask. And I'll help."

George nodded. "Thanks, mate. And ... sorry about the Balding Bomb. It wasn't supposed to last two whole days. Too much dragon blood." He ran his fingers through his returned locks.

Harry shrugged. "Apology accepted. Just ... don't throw stuff at me. Really ... just don't."

Fred spoke from behind Harry. "And what ... urk!" This last syllable was brought about by the fact that Yusuke had grabbed him by the throat.

Yusuke removed his hand from Fred's throat, patted his cheek and asked, "You were saying?"

Fred dropped into the chair beside Neville saying, "Um .. oh! Yeah. What are we planning?"

Neville grumbled darkly, "Lockhart."

"Well ..."

"why didn't ..."

"you say so ..."

"in the first ..."

"place!"

Yusuke watched in amusement as Neville and Hermione followed the twin speak, much like watching a tennis match. He smoked as they planned things, evil things he was happy to see.

Finally, Hermione came up with the best idea of all. "Why ... well, he surely doesn't really look like that, does he? Why not just keep dispelling all his glamours. I'm sure we can find a spell, like Finite Incantatum, but stronger? I tried that a long time ago and it didn't work. Or maybe a potion?"

Neville laughed heartily at that. "Hermione, you evil thing."

"Not. He's just ... I checked his timeline every which way. A teacher shouldn't lie like that. And he's just ... too pretentious. And self-satisfied. And ... he's just not what a teacher should be. But ... we're stuck with him, or someone worse. I could teach the class better than he can."

Yusuke nodded his agreement. "And what about physical threats. No teacher, that I've heard about, has addressed that at all."

Fred blinked. "But, we're wizards. Magic, and all that."

Yusuke sneered at that, a sneer worthy of Snape. "Lose your wand and where are you?"

Hermione gave him a wide eyed look. "Screwed. That's where."

"Not me. I can still use magic because I don't rely on a wand. My foci can't be taken easily. Most, not at all. And I can fight. I know several different martial arts. And the sword."

Hermione nodded. "That's good. Which martial arts do you practice again?"

"Aikido, mostly. And a bit of this and that. I sort of developed a style of my own, but ... you could say that I practice a secret art." Yusuke avoided admitting to anything much. He really didn't need to admit to being a ninja, for real.

Hermione gave him a look, but kept her peace. 

Neville, on the other hand, knew; more or less, and wasn't about to comment. Ninjado was beyond him, but he knew Harry was a great deal more than just a kumicho. And he was keeping his mouth shut about it. He thought, rightly, that Hermione knew what Harry was; but, since her knowledge of bad really didn't go beyond naughty, she was clueless. Her fear of and for Harry was based on the 'he'll get expelled' base line; not on the 'he'll kill someone' baseline. Neville sighed softly, things were getting complicated.


	14. Chapter 14

Saturday morning saw Harry in the dojo early, trying to teach Neville fan work. He was picking it up with surprising ease. Surprising, to anyone who knew Neville.

Neville, Harry had found, had no self confidence, but was gaining it by leaps and bounds. His Uncle had spent every waking hour telling him how useless he was. Now that Uncle Algie was gone, Neville was finding that he knew a lot more about management than anyone expected. He was sensible, down to earth and intelligent. He just needed a bit of a nudge in the right direction. Harry was more likely to get behind him and shove. It was working wonders.

So Harry was happily shouting, "No! Neville-kun, you have to think on your feet. Do you really think that a Death Eater is going to stand still while you decide how to kill him?"

Neville stopped what he was doing and yelled back, "No, I don't. but I don't know what spell they're going to throw first, do I? How do you manage that?"

Harry sighed. "Come sit down." Neville came to kneel beside Harry. "You're right. But most of the sort ... like Death Eaters ... they have standard attacks. Spells that they just use out of habit and training. I'm trying to teach you to do the unexpected. Even cast a tickling hex right out of the box. If you keep your opponent off balance you have a much better chance of winning. I want you to be a winner. See?"

Neville rubbed sweat off his face with a towel from a pile by the seats. "I see. You're right. But ... I bet we could find out which spells are most used by the idiots. I know they're real fond of Cruciatus. And there's a cutting hex that they use a lot. I don't know the name of it. Bet we could find out."

Harry smirked a bit. "See? I keep telling you, you know more than you think. I'll ask Snape-kyooju, he'll know."

Neville looked horrified. "You ... oh, man, he'll murder you."

"No, he won't. I'm more likely to kill him." Harry pushed water on Neville and took a glass for himself. "Drink. We'll end for today. You're doing very well." He pulled a black fan from mallet space. "Here. Keep it on you and practice with it every time you get a chance." Neville nodded a bit doubtfully. "And if anyone gives you grief, poke them with it."

"Ok. Thanks. But ..." Neville grinned. "I really want to see what Hermione pulls on Lockhart. I bet she and the twins pull a doozy." 

Harry snickered. "Me too. That girl doesn't understand true evil, but she can be downright nasty when she wants to be."

"True, true. And she's relentless." He finished his water. "I wonder what she's found out about our, as she calls it, petrification pest."

"Well, let's go find out." Harry stood up. "And breakfast. Then check on the test thing. And see what's happened to Lockhart. And Malfoy." Neville snorted water out his nose. "Oh, I don't like the little maggot, but still ... And I do owe him a gift. Giri can be a bitch."

Neville nodded. "Send him a pineapple and see what he sends back."

Harry gazed at Neville for a moment then asked, "A Pineapple?"

"It's a symbol of graciousness and friendship."

Harry thought carefully. "I don't think that's the impression I want to give. Perhaps a knife, or a pair of scissors? That's more the idea."

"Humm. Might do." Neville wasn't aware that giving a gift of a sharp object, like scissors or a knife, meant that the giver wished to sever a relationship.

Harry grinned slightly. "Perhaps the gift of four red sheathed knives?"

A voice from the door asked, "And who, exactly, do you hate that much?"

"Malfoy. I don't think a pineapple is the appropriate gift." Harry turned to wink at Hermione.

"No, definitely not a pineapple. But four, red and knives? You really, really don't like him, do you?" Hermione settled into an easy-back.

She was dressed casually in old, soft jeans, a used-to-be-black jumper and fuzzy socks. Her old trainers were left by the door.

"No, I don't. I've still got some reports to read about suspected Shi Ito. Um ... Death Eaters. Malfoy had the nerve to claim to be .. Imperioused? That what you call it?" Neville nodded. "Liar! No one can stay sane under that much imperious. He'd be mad as a flea. And his idiot son isn't much better. So ..." he batted his eyes at Hermione. "Would you like to deliver my giri for me?"

Hermione snorted. "No, I would not. Get one of the firsties to do it. That's another insult. Not only don't you do it but you get the youngest of the House to."

Harry snorted. "I see. Very good. I'll get one of the Dansei to pick up some cheap knives. Ok ... did your spell work? And don't look at me like that. I know you checked on it first thing."

Hermione didn't bother to try to deny it. "I did. And it worked a treat. But the books are so thick! We'll be forever working on them." She sighed. "I did make copies for each of us. And I already got Professor Flitwick to do the translation spell on one for you." She smiled happily. "I caught him in the corridor on the way here. It's in my bag by the door. And, I got him to redo the feather light charm. But he did say I needed to clean it out."

Harry laughed at this run on. "Yes, you do. so ... We'll drop it off in the juku before breakfast, then come back after to clean it out. No arguments."

It was at breakfast that they realized something. Wizards and logic do not mix. Neville proved to be an exception, rather than a rule.

Hermione had pulled a book out of her pocket to read and Ron had snorted at the title.

"The Critique of Practical Reason by Kant and Abbot? What the hell is that?"

Hermione tried to explain and got such a blank look that she exclaimed, "Logic? You know, that thing that proves a theory?" This brought about an argument that finally involved the twins, the Creavy brothers and several Ravenclaws.

The Ravenclaws understood the theory and practice of logic and reasoning, but added the caveat that it didn't apply to magic, theoretical or practical. This led Hermione to shove her book into her pocket and declare that they were all annoying and idiotic. She then flounced off in a huff, leaving the Ravenclaws shaking their heads and the rest of the group just puzzled. Except for Harry, Neville and the Creavy's.

Neville just said sadly, "I was afraid of that."

The Creavy brothers just shrugged and went back to breakfast, while Ron looked around, exclaimed, "What!" in an irritated manner then proclaimed Hermione 'mental'.

Harry eyed Neville then announced, "And Ethics goes the way of the dodo."

Neville nodded. "Right. If you can, there's no reason you shouldn't. Let's go find her before she hurts someone."

.

Hermione had fled outside. It was cold but not too much so. They found her in their hollow by the lake.

Harry settled beside her. "Don't take it so hard. They're all baka. I'll discus logic with you, so will Neville. Perhaps we could pick up a few other's. Weasley ..." Harry waived his hand. "he's not worth it."

Hermione sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "The whole of the Wizarding World is like that. I worry."

Harry nodded. "Don't. It's not your place, at seventeen, to worry about that sort of thing. The Wizards of England are well known for being ... odd and backward. The whole world knows this. Now. What shall we do that is entertaining?"

Neville settled beside Hermione on the other side. "I got tea." He offered the mugs around. "And a bit of this and that." He presented a platter of sausages, eggs, toast, fried potatoes and grilled tomatoes. "Sorry, Yusuke, it's all I could manage."

Harry took the mug and shrugged. "English won't hurt me, once in a while." He watched as Neville served up, handing plates to, first Hermione then him, finally taking one for himself. "There. I went easy on the sausages for you, Yusuke. If you want more just say. There's still plenty, and the platter is charmed."

They settled back to eat, warming charms keeping both the food and them warm.

Harry munched happily, watching the surface of the lake. "What's in the lake?"

"Beside the squid, not much. He eats most everything except the merpeople. And they eat the rest. There's not even any decent fishing." Neville scowled for a second, then brightened, "But, if you like fishing, there's Longbottom Cottage in the lowlands. That's got good fishing."

Harry reached out for more toast. "That's nice. I was never much for fishing, though. I do like flying. My oar is one of the fastest there is."

Hermione grumbled. "Boys! You're all obsessed. Speed. Idiots."

Harry smiled. "And you don't like flying."

"I think I would, if the damn broom felt a bit more stable. I have ridden horses and liked that."

Neville thought about that as he munched on his breakfast. He swallowed then announced, "I bet you'd like flying on a family type broom. You just don't like sports brooms."

Harry agreed exclaiming, "Like the difference between a sports car and a family car. They don't handle anywhere near the same."

Hermione looked intrigued so Harry resolved to find her a nice family broom. Or have a Dansei do it for him.

He was brought back to the present by Neville.

"Here. We're comfy and warm here, empty that bottomless pit out."

They all laughed at Neville's inadvertent joke. Hermione just up ended her bag and ordered, "Empty!". Everything in the bag fell out on the ground.

Even Harry had to eye the huge pile with some dismay.

Hermione just sighed, "Oh, dear." and started sorting.

In the end, she had a pile of books, another of parchment, spiral notebooks and composition books and a third of trash. She also had a pen box full of quills and ink bottles and a pencil box with biros, roller balls and highlighters. All the piles were huge.

"Well, Hermione-chan, that's quite a mess. I suggest that you get rid of all the parchment, keep it in your desk." He glanced at Hermione. "If you have trouble with your desk, I'll be glad to curse it for you. So, and most of the books, except what you really need for a class. Empty both boxes and put back just what you need for a class."

He was about to go on when Hermione interrupted, "I do know how to go on, you know. But I would really appreciate the help with my desk. The reason I carry most of my stuff is that my roommates have sticky fingers."

Neville put in, "I don't know about sticky fingers, but couldn't you just keep all your study things in the juku? I mean, you can't really study in your room, what with Lav giggling like a loon, and Parvati ... the two of them have to be driving you mental. Seriously."

Harry gestured in empty air and produced a cigaret, he lit it with another gesture and dragged in a lungful of smoke. When he spoke, he resembled a dragon as puffs of smoke emerged with his words. "Sticky fingers is a polite way of saying that other people's belongings seem to find their way into the person's possession. I think you should confine your study's to the juku from now on. You have a good desk there, and you are welcome to take possession of one of the tables permanently. Yes, Neville-kun?"

Neville just nodded and offered the last of the tea around. "And on that note ... anything about the petrifications?"

Hermione accepted more tea which Neville poured from a thermos he'd set on the ground beside his feet. "Thank you. Well ... there's only a few things that petrify. A gorgon for one but ... there's no way a gorgon could be in Hogwarts without getting caught, and why would one come here anyway. There's a couple of others ..."

Harry held up a hand. "Pray, spare us the rundown of what is not here and why. Just tell us if you know what it is."

Hermione sighed. "All that research and no one wants to hear about it." She sighed heavily, "Just heartbreaking." Harry was just about to apologize, and Neville was looking terribly guilty until she grinned at them and said, "Well ... enough of that. No, I haven't figured out anything. I did think it might be a basilisk but they don't petrify, they kill. One look into its eyes and you're dead. So I can't think what it might be and I'm out of resources." She sighed again and sipped at her tea. "And don't bother to offer to buy more books, much as I appreciate it. If I can't find it in the books I have, more books aren't going to help."

Neville grumbled, "Well, that tears it. So, we stay together. We never go anywhere alone and so on. Sucks."

Harry nodded. "I know. But, we need to be cautious. The professors are obviously not competent to handle it. Why no one is calling in some sort of expert is my next question."

Neville shrugged but Hermione just snarled, "Pride. They're so sure they can handle it that they're not even thinking about anything, or anyone, beyond that."

Hermione finally finished packing her things, and put the bag at her feet. "I'll take that up soon and put all the things away. I didn't realize I had so much junk in there."

Neville laughed, then offered, "I'll take the library books you're done with back, shall I?"

"Oh, please. Thank you." Hermione relaxed against the wall behind her. "This is still a nice place to sit. Out of the wind, and that warming charm really makes it comfortable.” 

They all jumped when a sharp 'A-ha!' sounded from the lake's edge. Professor Snape stormed up to them, then paused as he realized who was actually in their little refuge.

Harry drew on his current cigaret and then drawled, "A-ha, what? And what is it that your dirty mind thinks three friends might be doing in a hollow beside a lake in early October? Do drag your mind out of the gutter."

Snape opened his mouth, closed it then opened it to snarl, "You might be surprised what some students get up to."

Harry considered this, while Neville flushed heavily and Hermione just watched. "Humm. I do apologize. There is no telling what perverts will get up to. But then, knowing your house, you do have more experience than I."

Snape started to defend his house's honor, then realized that Miyamoto Yusuke wouldn't care, one way or the other. Instead he managed to say, with commendable mildness, "I do. But it's not just Slytherins, you wouldn't believe what Ravenclaws get up to. Or would you? Humm?"

The mild hum made Yusuke grin. "Oh, I would. My family doesn't deal in Baishunpu, but ... boys will be boys, right?"

Snape blinked for a second, then made a correct leap of logic. "Oh, and what does your family deal in?"

"Gambling and protection mostly. A bit of smuggling from time to time and Chichi-ue has the ear of the Emperor. Not that he ever pulls it, but still..." He pinned the professor with a look that made the man's knees weak. "it is useful to have others know this. Now, if you're done." he tossed his butt aside and stood. "Would you like to duel? For real, no tricks. Other than the dirty sort I fight with."

Snape thought about that for a moment. "I would, I do believe. Mr. Longbottom can officiate. And Miss Granger can be your cheerleader."

Yusuke just shook his head. "And why would a dignified young lady wish to do something like that." His puzzled look made it plain that cheerleader meant something entirely different to him than it did to his friends.

Snape decided that he'd baited Yusuke as far as he dared so he led the way to a meadow nearby. "This is a good place. It's open but in a slight depression. Any stray spells will hit the surrounding hillsides. Good enough?"

Yusuke looked around. "Yes. Very nice. so. Dueling rules or street dirty."

Snape sneered at his opponent and student. "Do you really think Death Eaters are going to insist on the niceties?"

Yusuke shook his head. "I don't." And with that he cast a spell at Snape.

Snape, not a bit surprised by this, tossed a spell back. Then the battle was on.

The two danced back and forth across the sward, casting spells, jinxes and hexes with abandon. Snape never really meant for it to get out of hand but, in the heat of the moment, he cast a cutting hex that caught Yusuke across the shoulder. It cut through robe, liner and shirt; into the muscle. It wasn't deep, but it did bleed.

What happened next was something no English wizard or witch had ever seen.

Yusuke dipped his finger tips in the blood then flicked them so that droplets flew toward Snape. He yelled, "Hijinkessou!" and the blood turned into red dart shaped blades, Snape dropped to dodge them but they pinned Snape's sleeve to the ground. He rolled over, pulling his arm out of the sleeve and jumping to his feet. He looked much different now. His shoulders were much broader than one would suspect but he was slim in the hip with strong thighs. Hermione's soft 'Ooooo!' was ignored.

"Very good, Snape-san. But not good enough." Yusuke tossed ofuda at Snape. They turned into birds in the air and swarmed Snape, flying around his head, fluttering in his face and generally making a nuisance of themselves. 

Snape swore and cast Finite Incantatem at them. They stilled and disappeared. But it was too late, Yusuke cast, 'Shibaru!'. Silken ropes sprang from nowhere to wrap around Snape, binding his arms and legs firmly.

Snape struggled for a moment then stilled. "I yield me."

At the formal declaration of surrender, Yusuke waved a hand. The ropes untangled themselves and disappeared. Snape stood up, bowed and said, "Well, that was ... interesting. What would you have done if I'd managed to take your wand?"

Yusuke waved a hand, produced a lit cigaret from thin air and replied, through a cloud of smoke, "If you want, I'll show you." he was beginning to feel that these people needed a bit of a demonstration. The observers carefully hiding themselves around the rim of the hollow would write home and word would get around. Word that there was a heavy hitter in the country. It might help, but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

"Pray do." Snape picked up his robe and tugged it back on. He didn't bother to examine the holes in the sleeve, he just flicked his wand and intoned, "Reparo." the holes mended themselves easily.

Yusuke reached up and produced a sword from his mallet space and smiled in an entirely dangerous way.

He ran through a quick kata then knelt. Hermione whispered to Neville, "Iaido, the art of drawing and cutting from a seated or kneeling position. Very difficult."

Yusuke turned his head to look directly at her. "And deadly. There is no defense. Also, I have another little trick I think you'll appreciate."

With that, he suddenly drew the sword, slashed upwards and shouted, "Kazi no Kizu!" The resultant gust of wind cut a gash in the grass six feet long. The sword was back in its sheath before Yusuke settled back on his heels, smirking at a pale Snape. "Yes."

Snape realized again that he was totally out of his depth. This brat was more dangerous than anyone realized and seemed willing to do whatever he needed to do to accomplish what he desired. In this case, keeping a certain potions professor from getting above himself. 

"I see. I will leave you now. Thank you for the duel." Snape bowed carefully, keeping his eyes on Yusuke. "See to that shoulder."

Yusuke bowed back, making eye contact. "Yes. Thank you as well. Perhaps again at a later date?"

"As you wish." Snape turned in a billow of robes and stalked off, back stiff.

Neville watched Snape leave, then shook his head. "I swear, that man just won't learn. And he calls us dunderheads. Yusuke, can I learn that Kazi thing?"

Hermione yelped, "Kazi no Kizu and Hijinkessou? You are so evil. What else can you do?"

Yusuke smoked for a bit as he thought. "Well, several cuts from Ruroni Kenshin, like Hiten mitsurigi Ryuu. Some stuff from Naruto. Just things I've picked up here and there." He watched as Hermione turned a faint shade of green. "Daijobu?"

Hermione shook herself out of her daze. "Ok. Please tell me you can do that shotgun thing from YuYu Hakusho. It would be dead useful."

"I can. But that one is really draining." He started to pull another cigarette out of his case in mallet space, but it pulled his shoulder. "Damn."

Hermione gasped. "Oh, I forgot your shoulder. You're still bleeding. We should get you to Madam Pomfrey."

Neville surprised her, but not Yusuke, by pulling a small box out of his robes. "Sit down. I'll fix that in a jiff."

Harry stripped off his upper garments without comment. Hermione gulped when she saw his tattoos, never mind that he was built, but didn't say anything. Neville gave her an approving nod then went to work. 

The cut was fairly long but shallow, starting at the point of Yusuke's shoulder and running across the top for about two inches. Neville sprinkled some powder on it then dribbled some green liquid over that. Yusuke sucked in a breath. "Sorry. I know it stings, but it's the only thing that won't spoil your tattoos."

"Fine. I really don't want to sit through a repair. Or the scolding I'll get for it." Yusuke turned his head to watch as Neville wiped the blood from his shoulder and arm with a cloth he dampened with his wand.

Neville finished his work with a wave of his wand. "No other injuries?"

"No." Yusuke stood up. "Thank you."

He started to say something else, but Hermione interrupted him. "I know. When is lunch?"

Yusuke laughed. "No, I already know when lunch is. I was going to say that I need to go get clean clothing. And ... I think I want a shower. Come on."

Neville pelted Yusuke with questions as they walked back to Hogwarts. Hermione added a few of her own from time to time. Both of them were actually a bit surprised that Yusuke answered as patiently as he did.

Finally, at the foot of the stairs to the boys dorm, he called a halt. "Hermione-chan, you cannot follow me up to the dorm." He grinned at her. "It's a naked place. Neville, I'd appreciate some privacy. If you don't mind."

Neville laughed. "I don't mind. I'll just run up and get a book to read. I still have some reading for Defense to do." Seeing the look on his face, he snorted. "Not anything by Lockhart, I assure you."

.

An hour later, Harry came back down the stairs, dressed in all black; from boots to silk t-shirt, with an over robe of dark green velvet draped around his shoulders.

Neville looked up from his book and smiled. "Well, don't you look fine. What's the occasion?"

Harry glanced Neville over. "Making an Impression. Would you mind changing into something a bit more ... dressy?"

"Not at all. Business dress?" Harry nodded, as that was what he was wearing. "Ok. I have some nice robes in a snuff brown that suit me very well. I'll be back in a few." Neville hurried up the stairs, flicking his wand in a freshening charm. He didn't really need a shower as he hadn't been active all morning.

While he was changing, Hermione came down then obediently went back up at Harry's request that she also change robes. She knew exactly what he was up to. Face was very important, and purebloods understood. He was rubbing the faces of purebloods in the fact that his group was important to him. Not like Voldemort, who took advantage of them at every turn.

Hermione sighed as she examined her semi-formal robes. They weren't really appropriate, they were too formal. She sat down on her bed to try not to cry.

"Hey, Granger! You look like ... you are!" Lavender got a good look at Hermione's face and yelled, "Patil, get in here. Now."

Parvati popped her head out of the loo, dripping shampoo. "What? I'm washing my hair."

"No, you're not. Go rinse. Now! Hermione's having a meltdown." Lavender patted Hermione on the shoulder. She sighed and flopped down on Hermione's bed. "I know we're not the best roomies, but ... well, we really do care. A bit. So ... what's got your knickers in a twist?"

Hermione gave in with little more than a whimper. "Yusuke wants me to dress ... I'm not sure exactly how to describe it. Go sneak a peek at him and see."

Lavender peeked down the stairs then returned to say, "Business formal. The sort of thing you'd wear to a fancy business lunch. Not that hard to do." she thought for a moment. "But you don't have a thing. All you've got is school robes and that formal. So ... Parv, we've got some work to do. And that hair!"

Parvati came out of the loo with a towel around her head, and demanded, "What's so bloody important that you've got to drag me away from washing my hair."

Lavender explained in short sentences. Lavender just groaned. "Well, we can't do much with that hair in a short time but ... a fancy do isn't what's needed anyway. A french braid is more like it."

The two girls bustled around Hermione, messing with her hair and face until she wanted to scream. But, she was well aware that they really did know their stuff. They truly weren't bad girls, just unthinking and careless. They borrowed each others things all the time and couldn't understand that Hermione needed them to ask first. All their arguments were about the same things; borrowing things without asking, misplacing papers and homework, and a total lack of ability to keep their mess contained.

Now, however, they seemed to be totally different. They knew where everything they needed was, and had her dressed, hair fixed and makeup done in less than twenty minutes.

Lavender surveyed their handiwork, and nodded her satisfaction. "There you go. You look so nice. I just wish ... well, never mind."

Hermione remembered something Yusuke had said to her. 'Always thank people, even if you're not grateful.' so she asked, "Wish what? I'd really like to know."

"I just wish you let us fix you up. Just a little. You always look so ... frazzled. We get grief about it all the time." Lavender braced herself for another of Hermione's lectures on the seriousness of life and -- she couldn't remember the rest of it.

"Oh, well. I don't like a lot of makeup. I feel like ... it's just too much. I like what you've done."

The dark blue pants, ice blue blouse and dark blue over robe struck just the right note. Her makeup was noticeable, but not obvious, and her hair was under control, braided into a nice French bun with a fluffy fringe and some tendrils dangling by her face to soften the look more. She turned away from the full length mirror she'd been examining herself in. "It's nice. Discrete and elegant. And it didn't take forever."

Parvati just nodded. "See, Lav, I told you. She's just not into a lot. A little that does a lot is more her way." She turned to Hermione. "We could ... have a girls day. You could ... well, we could fix you up and fiddle until you like it and it works in your daily routine. We've been trying to get you to let us for ages. Maybe we just didn't go about it right?"

Hermione nodded. "Or perhaps ... I just didn't listen right? Never mind now. Yusuke will be wondering if I got lost. We'll talk later. Ok?"

"Sure. You better hurry. You know boys hate to wait." Lavender made shooing motions while Parvati just laughed.

Hermione made it down the stairs just as Neville rejoined their small group too.

Yusuke rose to his feet and bowed to Hermione. "Very nice. That dark blue suites you. And the lighter blouse keeps it from looking ... hard."

Neville just nodded his head, gulping. Hermione never looked this put together.

Hermione eyed her slippers with a sour expression. They were the only thing that didn't suit her, and they were her shoes. The toes were scuffed and the heels down trodden. She brightened when she realized that, due to the fact that her business formal robes missed touching the ground by only an inch, no one would notice. 

Yusuke noticed, waved his hand, and smiled as the shoes now looked new. "There. Stop scowling, your face will stick that way. Now, we go down to eat. Neville on my left, Hermione on my right and one step behind."

Neville thought Hermione would throw a fit about the one step behind, but she smiled in a rather nasty way and said, "So, I'm your Ningen no tate."

Harry raised an eyebrow, impressed that she would know the Japanese. "No, Neville is. You're my arm candy."

"But ... a step behind?" Hermione waited for it.

"Because that's what is expected in pureblood circles." Hermione gave him a look. "What? I can't get a book? One of the Itouko sent it. Proper manners are important. Even if you think they are silly."

Hermione thought about it. "I don't understand."

Neville tried to explain, "Think of it as a game. Yes, it's dumb; but, if you don't know how to play the game, no one will respect you."

Harry nodded. "It's like giri. There's all sorts of rules about it. They seem stupid to many people, but there's a reason behind it all. Mostly, it's a way to one-up each other without bloodshed. Like chess is a war without soldiers."

Hermione gave him a blank look. "Ok?"

Neville shrugged, looked at Harry behind Hermione's back and mouthed, "She won't get it."

Harry, inclined to agree, just shrugged.

Their entry into the dining hall was a bit of a shock to many. Harry entered first with Neville on his left and a half step behind him. This put him on the Slytherin side of Harry. Hermione on his other side looked so nice that she actually attracted more attention than Harry did.

Harry led them to the Gryffindor table and sat down at the head of it. This was something that was usually not done as, technically, the head of the table belonged to the Head of the House. No one said anything, however, so they were left in peace.

Harry picked up a bowl of rice and handed it to Hermione. She took the bowl and placed it before her. Then Harry gave another bowl of rice to Neville. "Please, eat." He picked up his chop sticks and started on his own rice. No one really realized what this was all about, but it was symbolic. Harry was accepting Hermione and Neville into his inner circle of friends.

This was not the same as being 'allowed the cup'. That indoctrinated the person into the Yakuza as a gaki. The 'offer of rice' only meant that the people were friends of the person who gave the rice to them.

Hermione just blithely dug in, Neville, more used to ceremonial behaviors, bowed slightly, saying, "Thank you."

Harry just grunted around a mouthful of rice and pickles. He looked up as Hedwig swooped in, deposited a box on the table beside his plate and settled on his shoulder.

He gave her a bit of beef and picked up the box. He was sure what it was but opened it anyway.

Hermione eyed the giri with a tiny smirk. The flat box was fairly plain, wrapped as it was in patterned paper. The paper was dark blue with little gold fans printed on it. There was no bow, only a small card, affixed with a bit of spellotape. It said simply, "Malfoy. From: Myamoto" There was a note attached to it as well, but it was clearly addressed to 'Yusuke-kumicho'.

Harry opened the note, read it then handed it to Neville. Neville read it, snorted a laugh and handed it on to Hermione.

She took it with a frown, why was she the last to get the note? She'd find out later. She turned her attention to the note and read, "Kumicho. We found some cheap tanto just as you asked. They are lacquered in red with fancy gold sageo. We hope this is what you were searching for.' It was unsigned.

"Ok, why did I get it last?"

Neville didn't bother to look at her as he replied, "You have time to look up that translation spell?"

"No." Hermione looked puzzled but mollified.

"I know it. Yusuke-kun taught it to me." He glanced at her in amusement. "We do share a dorm."

Then Hermione zeroed in on something. "Um ... Yusuke, I thought tanto didn't usually have sageo."

"They don't. But Malfoy won't know that only the very young and inexperienced need a sageo to keep their tanto from falling through their obi." Yusuke twinkled at her over the edge of his rice bowl.

Hermione catching both the references at once grinned and announced, "Miyamoto Yusuke, you are totally evil. And stop twinkling at me. You look alarmingly like Dumbledore."

"I do? Then my work is done." He laughed softly.

When they were nearly finished eating, a first year stumbled just by Yusuke. No one had ever better dare say he was tripped. Yusuke caught him before he did a header into the slate floor.

"Easy there. Ok?" Yusuke straightened the boy's robes.

"Yes, sir. I'm fine. Thanks for the catch." The boy gave Yusuke an easy smile.

"Well, since you're ok. Could you do something for me? There's a bit of a job I need done." Yusuke gave the impressionable boy the box. "Will you take this to Malfoy for me?" At the boy's expression he reassured him, "Don't worry, no one will hex you." He thought for a moment then went on. "If they do, they'll regret it. Will you?"

He got an assessing look. "Yes. What's in it for me?"

Yusuke laughed. "I'll give you a galleon, or that much of candy and pranks."

"Candy and pranks." The boy held out his hand, obviously for a handshake.

Yusuke shook then handed him the box. "Sorry, I should have asked right off. What's your name?"

"Malcolm Standish." And with that, Malcolm scampered off to the Slytherin table. He tapped Malfoy on the shoulder, shoved the package at him and trotted away. No one bothered him and he settled with his friends. Yusuke gave him a nod and got a wide grin back.

Malfoy opened the box and eyed the strange looking knives. The box contained four knives in sheathes, placed head to tail, like sardines. They were imbedded in shaped hollows in the tray. He took one out and fingered the rather gaudy gold cords wrapped around the saya. He got a very bad feeling about it and wondered if he should have hexed the messenger then decided that such an action would have been a very bad idea. He would write to his father.

Hermione watched Malfoy and wondered what, exactly, the idiot had done to get on Harry's bad side. So, she asked.

Harry looked at her for a moment then said, "I got a report on him and his family. Bad business men, the lot of them. Power brokers without intelligence. They and their sort are ruining Magical Britain. So, I'm undermining him. And through him, his father."

Hermione thought about that for a moment then said, "This might sound a bit petty but ... can I help?"

Harry thought about it then said, "If you can figure out a way for me to get into Slytherin house, that would be a great help."

Hermione snorted softly. "That is beyond me. But ..." She smirked at him in a very Snape like way. "Ask the Terrible Twins."

"Very well." Harry looked down the table at Fred.

Fred looked up and caught his eye. Harry jerked his head and Fred poked George. They both moved up the table to sit on either side of him.

"I need to get into the Slytherin dorms. Will you help me?" He glanced at George.

George caught Fred's eye then said, "If we're forgiven for pranking you." Yusuke just nodded.

Fred continued, "We're complimented. Not can, but will. Humm. And what's in it for us?"

"I let you live." Harry grinned at them, a rather shark like thing that made a nearby third year get up and move.

"Well, in that case, not quite forgiven yet. But ...."

"Meet us in the common room after curfew, we'll see what we can do." 

The Twins grinned in a rather scary fashion only to shudder when Harry smiled back. His scary smile was way scarier than theirs.

.

That night was, frankly, fun. Yusuke came out completely relaxed. Pranking a Yakuza Kumicho just wasn't done, but the other way around was. Yusuke was famous for his pranks, and for rewarding those who took them with good nature. His pranks were very rarely mean or cruel, but he could be both when the situation merited it. Most who got pranked in a nasty way were actually grateful, it was much better than losing a finger after all.

He remembered one time when one of the men had screwed up badly. He'd been told to speak to one of the more difficult customers of Yusuke's laundry business. He'd gone in with a bad attitude and ended up hitting the son. Not what he was supposed to do at all. Yusuke had slipped a drug into his tea that kept him awake for over a week. At the end of the week, he'd been so sleep deprived that he'd been nearly insane. Not pleasant at all. And the man had then slept for three days. It didn't help any that his dreams had been nightmares from which he couldn't wake.

Other pranks made it plain that Yusuke could, and would, keep everyone in his gumi in line, without resorting to yubitsumi. Unless it was really necessary. Then, the gloves came off.

But, tonight was all about warning, so things wouldn't be too rough. All Slytherin would suffer some sort of vaguely humiliating prank.

As they made their way down into the Slytherin dorms, Yusuke asked, "Ok, what kind of prank should we play? Something ... not too dangerous, but something that will really get their attention."

Fred used his 'musing and amusing' voice to say, "We have been working on a magical itching powder. Only problem is .. we're not too sure how long the effects last. And, while it doesn't cause any physical symptoms, it's a bit stronger than we really like. So ... like?"

Yusuke asked, "No physical symptoms, except for the actual itching?"

George nodded. "No. No rash, no sores, nothing except the itch. We tried it out on Ron this summer. Nearly went mental before it wore off. It lasted three days. This stuff isn't that strong, but it's still pretty powerful."

Yusuke grinned. "Good. So, how does it work."

Fred grinned back. He thought there was a lot of grinning going on but it was good. Yusuke did have a nice smile, when he wasn't trying to intimidate someone. "Well, my dear friend, it is spread by contact. Underwear is a good place, but any bit of clothing that touches the body works well."

Yusuke chuckled a bit darkly. "I see. Just sprinkle it on something and sweat activates it?"

"Exactly. But, if we can put it somewhere that they put their hands, they'll spread it all over themselves." George snickered softly. "It's not water soluble, in fact, attempts to wash it off, spread it. And that's something else we need to work on. Some sort of solvent to get it off, if we can't manage a time limit."

Yusuke watched as they descended into Twin Speak which consisted of shrugs, grimaces and single words. The decision between them seemed to be not to use the itching powder.

"You're afraid of the results. Why?"

"Don't mind making someone itch like crazy, but ... what if there's a really bad reaction. Someone breaks out in a real rash ... or it's doing more harm than we intend? We're pranksters, not ... well, you understand."

Yusuke thought for a second. "I do. But ..." he smiled, that special easy one that could con a demon. "remember who their head of house is?"

The twins shared a look then just nodded. Fred produced a shaker and handed it to Yusuke. "Just remember ... if you get caught, we have no idea how you got your hands on this."

Yusuke reassured him, "If the Okami couldn't beat information out of me, do you really think Ojiisan Agohigi can guilt it out of me? Give. Beside that, I have immunity. Granted to me by Fudge himself. But that goes no farther. Yes?" His look had both twins nodding vigorously.

It wasn't that dangerous to admit this as, the minute the papers found out about his contract when it was registered with the ICW, it would be all over, or he missed his guess. But, if it got out early, he'd know he couldn't trust the twins. He knew he could trust Neville, he got a feeling about him and those were never wrong. Hermione was a bit of a question, he thought he could trust her but, if she thought it was for his own good, there could be problems.

Fred pointed to a bare patch of wall, bare in that it was devoid of paintings or tapestries. There was, however, a snake in base relief carved into the stones. "Here's the door. Now all we need to do is figure out how to open it. The residents just touch the snake." He reached out to do that. Nothing happened. "Well, that's no good. Twin?"

George started to say something but Yusuke beat him too it. "Open." The parsletongue made both older boys jump. "What? Look." The door was opening quietly.

"Well, well. I wonder how it works for them." no one needed to ask who 'them' was.

Yusuke snorted. "I really don't care. Mess around with that and get me caught and see what happens." He slipped quietly through the door and into the Slytherin common room. The twins followed just as quietly.

It didn't take them long to sprinkle the powder here and there. Any surface that someone might touch, clothing laid out for the next day, even a few bits of underwear that had been left out for the new day. The thing that amused them all was, Snape's quarters were right next door and parceltongue worked on them too. Yusuke made Fred and George stay outside as he slipped in and sprinkled the stuff on a few things. If Snape made a habit of checking his grade book in the morning, he was going to spend a miserable day. Also, if he picked up his wand, or drank tea, or dressed in the robes laid out so neatly on the sofa.

The return to the dorm was made quickly and quietly. Yusuke nodded to Fred and then George. They just gave him a thumbs up and started up the stairs to their room. Yusuke whispered, "Forgiven." Both twins smiled slightly and continued up the stairs to bed.

Yusuke spent the next three hours reading his textbooks for Ancient Runes and finishing his essay on the meaning of the Futhark rune sowilo and the possible interpretations in runic magic.

He found it singularly useless as several other runes had doubtful interpretations. Unlike Kanji which, in magic, had only one interpretation and only one way to write them.

.

The next morning was interesting as most of the Slytherin students were given detention or lost points for scratching in 'personal' places. Or they went to Madam Pomfrey for a lotion. Snape was particularly nasty first and second period. After that he just disappeared.

Malfoy and his goons, Crabbe and Goyle, got detention from Professor McGonagall and lost points from Madam Sprout and Professor Flitwick. Then they also disappeared. In fact, any Slytherin who was affected, disappeared. 

Most of the school were both pleased and worried; pleased that Slytherin was obviously in trouble, worried that it might be contagious. The Twins were quietly proud of their accomplishment. Yusuke was amused. And Neville and Hermione kept giving him the sort of look that one gave a puzzle that they'd almost solved, but were stuck on the last piece.

Almost all the affected students had disappeared by lunch time. Snape was seated at the high table for about twenty minutes, during which he caught the eyes of the remaining Slytherins and communicated with them, somehow, that they should return to their house. Yusuke watched him nod at each one then twitch a finger. It was enough for him to understand, yakuza used similar signals.

After collecting the last of his students, Professor Snape got up and left, bowing to Yusuke slightly as he walked between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. Yusuke bowed back to exactly the same degree from his seated position.

Hermione gasped, "Oh, no! He knows! What do we do?"

Yusuke patted her hand. "Nothing. He also knows that, if I can get into his house, he has no protection from me. It's a waiting game now."

Neville sighed, "I hate politics. Hermione isn't very good with them either."

Hermione nodded, "Most people are just so ... illogical. Especially Magicals."

Neville scowled at her, drawing his eyebrows together in one line. "Hey! I resemble that."

Yusuke shook his head, laughing. "No, you don't. Actually, you're very logical. For a hormone driven, seventeen year old wizard."

Neville spluttered his pumpkin juice, trying not to laugh, without any success.

Lunch ended on a merry note, with Yusuke and Neville insulting each other genially while Hermione just snickered at them.  
.

Shibaru! - bind  
Hijinkessou - blades of blood (from Inuyasha)  
Kazi no Kizu - sword wind(?) as always manga translations are different. Sometimes not in a good way.

.


	15. Chapter 15

Authors note: Due to all the questions about how I got the title: It’s from Hana Fuda. The card deck is called Hana Fuda or Flower Cards. Many different games are played with it. Including several gambling games. In the gambling game most favored by Yakuza 20 is the worst hand you can get, and the most common way is 893. The numbers are 8 = ya, 9 = ku and 3 = za. or Yakuza. I do love the obscure, I just wasn’t aware that it was that obscure. *g*

.

As they were leaving they heard a soft 'A-hem!'. Yusuke moved to put himself between the voice and his friends. It turned out that this was not necessary; Professor McGonagall just smirked at him and nodded. As she turned to leave they all noticed the smirk turn into a real smile.

Neville gaped at the usually stern professor, then whispered, "I swear she winked at me."

Hermione agreed. "I do think so."

Yusuke nodded. "Well, we better get going. We need to be on time for juku."

Hermione blinked, "This afternoon is free."

Yusuke scowled at her. "It is not. It is scheduled for juku, you set it yourself."

Hermione scrabbled for her schedule. "Oh, my goodness! I got my days mixed up. What is wrong with me? I'm not usually this scatter brained."

Noticing how frazzled she looked, Harry patted her shoulder. "You're tired. How late did you stay up last night?"

"Oh! Only til one. You stay that late.” Hermione grumbled, rubbing at her red eyes.

"No. I stay up later than that. But ... that's because I only need between four and five hours of sleep a night. It's my constitution, not my intention. Believe me, there are times I'd rather be sleeping." He grimaced in disgust. "Especially when Ron farts in his sleep."

Neville returned his expression. "Yes. I swear something crawled up his ass and died."

Hermione made a gagging noise. "You two. You're awful." Then she giggled. "But I do feel much better."

Harry pulled her along. "Come on. We're going to do something fun."

But it was not to be. As they were headed outside, they came across a group of Ravenclaw sixth years bullying a Slytherin first year. Yusuke snarled quietly, "Grab the kid."

Neville waited, easing into position so he could get hold of the girl. Hermione hissed, "We should run and get a professor."

Yusuke shrugged one shoulder, cracking his neck at the same time. "Yes, why don't you do that." Hermione scurried off, Yusuke called after her. "Flitwick!"

Then he turned and gazed at the Ravenclaws. "What are you thinking? This little girl hasn't done anything to you."

"She's a Slytherin. She deserves it." The obvious leader sneered at Yusuke, tugging on the lapels of his robes in a satisfied manner.

"She's eleven, she doesn't deserve to be tortured by four full grown men." Yusuke stepped into the boys face. He stepped back, leaving the girl unattended.

Yusuke stepped over her, giving Neville the opportunity to snatch her up and hustle off with her in his arms. He headed straight for Madam Pomfrey, the girl was shaking hard, not a good sign. As he hurried away he called over his shoulder, "Don't bother to leave anything for me."

Yusuke said with dangerous calm, "Oh, I won't." He reached out with his magic and picked up the leader. "I think you should feel what that small child felt. Odoshi!" He punched the boy in the chest. He immediately howled in pain and fell to his knees as Yusuke released his robes. "Yawamiso! Kachi ga!" Yusuke ducked an awkward punch from another of the Ravenclaws.

This punch proved that the three were never meant to be fighters, as it was a round-house swing that came from somewhere near the idiots ear. Yusuke ducked it and used the momentum to pull baka-ne, as he had just numbered the boys to keep them straight for later, over his shoulder and into an arm lock. He only held it for a second, but it paralyzed the boy long enough for Yusuke to knuckle punch him in the temple. He went down like a stone and pinned Baka-ichi beneath his weight. The third boy did the wise thing, he dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.

He didn't get it. Instead, he got a kick to the ribs that broke one and cracked two more.

The sharp, "That's enough." from just about waist height told Yusuke that Professor Flitwick had arrived. "Now, what was Miss Granger wittering on about? And no lying." This was addressed to the three Ravenclaws who were so obviously going to lie that Flitwick mentally added two detentions to their punishment.

Baka-ichi struggled to his feet to whine, "We weren't doing anything. He just jumped us for no reason."

Professor Flitwick just snorted. "Do you really believe I'll fall for that one? Someone who is a true Duelist just took it into his head to physically attack you? Try again. And don't try pulling my leg again. I assure you it won't make me any taller."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow, then nodded at Flitwick. "Nice. Do you want my side of it first? Since none of those garutachi seem to be able to speak anything but lies."

"Please."

So Yusuke told Flitwick the story, finishing, "I just thought they should have a taste of Tsuri men, since they like to dish it out so much."

Flitwick, familiar with the phrase 'spicy noodles' being used for a beating, sighed. "And the victim?"

"Slytherin, first year, girl. So dangerous." Yusuke made his contempt clear.

The three Ravenclaws quailed under Flitwick's furious look. "I see." He twitched at loud footsteps, and pointed his wand down the corridor. It turned out to be Neville.

"I left Clarice with Madam Pomfrey. She's got half a dozen curses working on her and two cracked ribs and a broken arm." He turned on the Ravenclaws. "What the hell are you thinking? She's eleven, for Merlin's sake." 

He didn't continue as Professor Flitwick stopped him by saying, "That's enough. I'll deal with them now." He gathered the group with one fierce look and stalked away. The boys followed, but not before Yusuke waved his hand at them. They'd find out later that they had large B's on each cheek in bright yellow. No amount of washing would remove them. This was in addition to the weeks detention in the kitchens and an essay on the effect of bullying on the victim and 500 lines of "I will not be a bully. Bullies are weak and ignorant. Ravenclaws are not weak nor ignorant. They are above such things." By the time they were done, most of Ravenclaw had resolved not to bully any one.

Flitwick's lecture, in the common room, stripped hide off all three of them. He left their healing to Madam Pomfrey, and she had to come to the dorms to deal with them as they were confined to Ravenclaw unless they were in classes. They weren't even allowed to go to the Great Hall or the Library, their meals were brought to them by a house elf.

Yusuke eyed Neville then Hermione. "I need some fresh air. Come."

Hermione just sighed and trotted after him, Neville at her side.

Harry headed straight for their hollow by the lake. He felt truly angry. He hated bullies with a passion, especially when they picked on someone smaller and weaker than they who didn't deserve it. That little girl hadn't done anything wrong, she was only eleven. 

Neville sighed and sat down next to Harry. "You ok?"

"No, not really. I don't understand that sort of thing at all. Strength is to be used to support and protect. Those outside the game should be left outside it, not dragged into things they don't understand and can't cope with. If they'd beaten someone their own age, that would be bad enough. But to hit a helpless child, or an old person, that is meiyo nashi, without honor. O okonawanai." Harry descended into muttering direly in Japanese, while Neville just sat there and Hermione struggled to translate the Yakuza into something resembling English.

Finally, Hermione patted Harry's shoulder and asked, "What was that spell? The one that left them marked?"

Harry didn't bother to deny it, Hermione was well aware that his rings were his true foci. "I didn't use a spell. It's a curse. I almost made a mistake and used the kanji. It won't fade for quite a while." Harry gave her a puzzled look. "Why?"

"Because bullying is a problem at Hogwarts. Everyone bullies the Slytherins and they bully back. Someone should take charge of the problem because Dumbledore won't. He sees what he wants to see. Which is a bunch of misunderstood young things, doing what that sort does. He interferes when anyone actually punishes students for real meanness." She shrugged, "The Twin Terrors don't count as they really don't mean anything by their tricks. And, if they're told someone was really hurt, they'll make amends. So ... how to .... humm."

Harry nodded, here was a way to fix something that was broken and annoy Dumbledore at the same time. He was fairly sure that Western magic wouldn't be able to dispel the curse.

"I know a way to ... um ... attach that particular curse to the wards. An Ofuda at the proper place and anyone who is truly bullying will get the ..." He snickered, "Yellow Letter."

Hermione froze for a moment then snickered. "Oh, dear. You did do some reading after all."

Harry snorted. "I said I can't read English. Not that I haven't read English books. They do translate them, you know."

"Sorry. But ... well ..." And she proceeded to rattle off a list of authors and books and ask which he'd read, which he'd enjoyed and then give him a rundown of her opinions of all of them.

No one bothered to interrupt her as this was harmless, and her babble was strangely soothing. She was in the middle of a detailed breakdown of the latest John Carpenter book when she realized that Neville and Harry were asleep, leaning on each other. She huffed once, then cast a warming charm, transfigured her hanky into a blanket, covered all three of them and snuggled down on Harry's other side.

They were still sleeping when McGonagall found them in the late afternoon. "Harry. Neville. Hermione. Wake up. Come now, up an at 'em."   
Hermione snorted then shifted as Harry jiggled her. Neville, on the opposite side of Harry, grumbled then woke up with a start.

Harry smiled at McGonagall. "I do make a good bed, I guess. Come on, you two, wake up." He jiggled his shoulders to shake them both awake. "Up.

They all three took their time getting themselves together. Professor McGonagall watched with patient amusement until Hermione retransfigured her hanky and tucked it up her sleeve.

As they walked back, the professor carefully questioned Harry. His answers were polite, but a bit distant. No, the mark didn't and wouldn't hurt them. Yes, it would fade, in several months, if they changed their ways. The truly hopeless would carry the mark until they went home and it would return when they did. No, he doubted that Dumbledore could remove it. His thought process was entirely too Western.

"Well, young man, I do hope you are prepared to deal with interrogation by an expert. Headmaster Dumbledore is sure to expect you to either reverse the punishment, or tell him how to do so." Professor McGonagall looked more than a bit annoyed when she said that.

"Oh, he's going to break my fingers? Or beat me with a rubber hose? Really? Is that allowed?" At the shocked looks he got, Harry just put his cigarette to his lips, sucked in then snorted it out his nose.

Hermione opened her mouth, recalled that Harry had called her on saying, 'Surely, that can't be right.' and closed it again. She was beginning to realize that Miyamoto Yusuke was used to some, to her, very odd things.

McGonagall, to her credit, had done some research of her own, through contacts she still maintained from her 'old days'. She wasn't too happy with what she'd learned, but she was reassured that the Miyamoto family considered Harry one of their own. She wondered if Yusuke/Harry, she still had problems with the name, would show her some of his treasures if she asked nicely enough.

Neville just took the remarks in stride. "No, nothing like that. More likely, he'll try to either trick or guilt you into doing what he wants."

"He can't. I'm much too savvy to fall for his Western tricks, and I feel no guilt. For anything ... ever." He thought for a moment. "And nagging makes me incredibly stubborn."

Hermione decided to enact one facet of her, their, plan. "Professor? Does Hogwarts have a master ward stone?"

"Yes, it does. It's somewhere in the deepest dungeon, no one knows except the headmaster. All attempts by anyone else to find it, fail. We found one student hanging from the weather vane. I think Hogwarts herself defends it."

"Oh, well, that is interesting. I'm thinking of doing my Master's Thesis on ancient wards and their effects." Hermione wasn't even lying, she really was doing her thesis on wards.

"You've already decided to become a Wardmaster?" Professor McGonagall was never endingly astonished at what this student of hers would decide was a good idea. 

"Well, yes and no. I was thinking of a double major, that's what it's called in ... Muggle schools. Wards and ward breaking and Spell creation and curse breaking. They both sound so interesting. Transfiguration is necessary in both so ... perhaps a minor in that."

The professor gave up listening, the combination of unfamiliar muggle terms and Hermione's tendency to digress left her confused.

Neville started to hush Hermione, but Harry, well aware of exactly what she was up to, patted him on the arm. A shake of the head gave Neville the hint, so they all walked back to dinner to the sound of Hermione's chatter.

Harry realized one of Hermione's most annoying characteristics came from the fact that her mind was like a confused coon hound, she cast back and forth, darting here and there until she picked up the scent. Her thoughts darted in every direction at once, minnows before a kingfisher. But, once she'd locked onto the proper thought, she was like a pit-bull with a rag. He shook his head, realizing that he was wandering too.

They went into the Great Hall, but before they could head for their house table, the professor said something a bit odd. "Of course, rumors are often wrong. And things are seldom where you expect them to be." And with that totally cryptic utterance, she went to eat her dinner.

Harry looked at Hermione then Neville. He said, "Nani?" which made Hermione giggle. "Shut it you. What the fuck was that?"

"I'm not sure yet but ... I need a book." Hermione giggled again then started filling her plate with sushi, sashimi and pickles.

Harry followed suit, passing things to Neville.

They weren't that surprised when Hedwig flew over head and dropped a packet beside Harry's plate. None of this dropping mail into the soup for her. She was a good owl.

Harry opened the folded cover paper and sighed. "Ok, I was wondering why I wasn't getting reports like I should have." He read the letter from Takeda Kenzo. He wanted to know if something was wrong with the mailbox as they hadn't gotten replies to any of their reports for the last four days nor the queries as to what was happening. They'd finally resorted to sending an insecure letter via owl. "Well, that tears it ... I officially don't like Dumbledore."

Hermione sighed. "I wondered when that was going to happen. I don't think letter boxes are allowed at Hogwarts."

Harry shook his head. "They are, I checked. But ... I think Dumbledore is trying to isolate me from my dansei. He is probably hoping that I'll fall back on ... um ... kategi for support. Not going to happen. So ... what to do?" He fell into a study, followed by both Hermione and Neville. This was not good, not good at all.

Hermione was sure that the best way to alienate Harry was to force any issue with him. He could be reasoned with but not forced.

As he brooded, he noticed Malfoy smirking at him. He nudged Neville, then nodded at Malfoy. "I wonder what that baka yaro had to do with this."

Neville glanced up from his plate. "Something. The expression on his face is too ... gloaty for him not to have."

Just then, Dumbledore appeared from the teachers lounge behind the high table, his bright red robes standing out like a splotch of blood. "Students, if I might have your attention. I have an announcement to make. It has been brought before me that some students seem to believe that they are better than others because they can afford a Direct Mail Box. These are not allowed so the wards have been adjusted to prohibit deliveries to them. Thank you to Mr. Malfoy for reporting this. And whoever cast that obnoxious 'B' spell on their fellows must remove it." Then he gave Harry a twinkly look, nodded to him and did the same to Neville. He left the way he'd come, red robes fluttering.

Hermione sighed. "Some people never learn, do they? And Malfoy's mad at me because I do better in classes than he does. But he won't study so what does he expect?"

"A pity grade because he's retarded."

Hermione blinked at Neville, blowing a friz of bangs out of her eyes. "That's very rude ... to special needs people."

"Not." Hermione decided to let that one drop, but Neville had other ideas. "Calling him what he is, is not rude to people who have no choice. He has a choice; therefore, he's retarded."

Harry ignored this by play, squinting at the Slytherin table. "Hermione, tell me which books you need. I'll see that you have them. I sent one list already, and was wondering why I hadn't gotten them yet. Sou Ka. Ah, ah."

Hermione waited patiently as Harry thought. She was hoping he wasn't going to turn into Yusuke over this, but was afraid he would. This was not good.

"I don't know why Dumbledore would block a mail box, but it's got to be for a stupid reason. Why won't he let things be?" Neville complained. He knew he was whining, but sometimes he just wanted to go home and be home schooled.

Hermione nodded. "Neville's right. I don't care what Dumbledore said, there's more to it than 'it's against the rules'. Dumbledore bends and breaks them all the time. It's just whatever is convenient to him."

Harry just finished his food then stood up. "I'm going out. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"You'll need a permission." The silky voice from behind them made Neville and Hermione jump. Even Snape's silent footsteps hadn't been silent enough to fool Harry; although he didn't jump, the twitch of his fingers toward his knives made Snape hold up a hand. "Which I will be glad to give you." He pulled a piece of parchment from his dark robes and extended it to Harry in slender, potion stained fingers. "That girl has a sister in Hufflepuff. She was visiting her."

Harry bowed carefully. "I hate bullies of any kind. You might let that be known around your house. I was glad to be of help. Is she well?"

"She'll do. Madam Pomfrey healed her injuries. From now on, her sister will have to visit her. I will guarantee her safety myself." The professor's sour expression told them how much he was displeased by that. Harry wondered if it was the fact he had to guarantee her health or that she was visiting at all. He dismissed it as not of concern to him. "See that you are back at Hogwarts by curfew tomorrow night. Yes?"

"Anata nozomu yō ni, Kyōju." Harry bowed again.

Hermione sighed. "English, Yusuke."

"Ah. As you wish, Professor. Arigato."

Snape just raised an eye brow, snorted and strode away.

Hermione looked Harry up and down. "What has you so upset?"

Harry produced a cigarette, settled back on the bench he'd been sitting on and asked, "What makes you think I'm upset?" He sucked in clove scented smoke and let it trickle out his nostrils, looking more and more like a dragon.  
She gave him a look of disgust. "One, you're forgetting your English. Two, you're smoking in the Great Hall. Three, you're squinting. So, what's the problem?"

"Other than the fact that Ojiisan Agohigi is interfering in my affairs, censoring my mail and generally pissing me off? Nothing." Harry drew in a lungful of smoke and blew rings as he made plans. "I'll be leaving as soon as I'm sure you're safe in the house. So ... finished eating?"

Neville, who'd just been waiting for Hermione to finish her quiz said, "We can get back to the house on our own. If you're worried about it being just the two of us, we'll wait on Weasley."

Fred and George, eaves dropping shamelessly, interjected, "Ron's off with Lav-Lav." George swooned into Fred's arms, looking like a damsel in distress, sort of. Fred dropped him onto the floor with a meaty thump, from there he said, "We'll walk them back. It's just the two of us. With them, that makes a safer group of four. Ok?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, thank you. You two don't be off by yourselves either. I will be most displeased if I find that you've gotten yourselves petrified. Understand?" His look made both of the twins nod, eager to avoid being pranked again. They were well aware that they'd gotten off easy.

Harry gave them a considering look then motioned for them to close up with him. He tugged them into a huddle, putting their heads close together then casting a shimmering, silver, silencing spell. Hermione huffed her irritation but didn't object, she was sure they were planning something awful.

It didn't take them long to finish, remove the spell and separate.

The twins gathered up Hermione and Neville and started off, one of them calling over a shoulder. "We'll have the spray ready when you get back. Remember, it only works on parchment."

Harry just nodded at them, then folded away.

He'd been avoiding that; but, now that Dumbledore had managed to irritate him enough, he decided to try it. It wouldn't do him any harm if it failed. It didn't.

It did, however, do exactly what Harry had feared it would to the wards. It scrambled them like eggs. They didn't go down, but they were damaged. It would take Dumbledore the rest of the day to fix them. It also gave Hermione, Fred and George time to actually find the main ward stone.

It really wasn't where everyone expected it to be. Instead of being in the deepest dungeon in the keep, it was somewhere in Trelawny's Tower, above the Divination Classroom.

.

Much to Fred and George's annoyance, Hermione refused to speculate as to what Harry was going to do to Dumbledore. They were very smart but, somehow, a bit blind. Hermione had put two and two together the second they had said their potion only worked on parchment. She just hoped that whatever prank it was wouldn't explode too loudly. She just sighed, went to the juku and stuck her nose in a book. She still had several to read before she was sure her current resources wouldn't yield the secret as to what was petrifying students.

She was a bit displeased when she realized that Fred, George and Neville intended to stay right there with her. At least, she was, until all three settled at desks and began to work on class work. This was when she found out the house elves liked the twins, as one appeared with a soft pop when George called. It agreed to bring them their homework, returning with it and accepting a chocolate frog for its trouble.

Hermione bit her lip, then demanded, "I thought we weren't supposed to ask the house elves to do our work for us."

George nodded, "Oh, we're not. But we don't believe we asked it... "At Hermione's glower he corrected himself. "um ... him or her to do our chores for us. We paid it to run an errand. See, that's the thing. You have to examine all rules from all angles for loop holes, then use them. Otherwise, it's no fun at all. I mean, creative rule bending is the point, isn't it?" He waggled his red eye brows while Fred swanned around, a perfect Draco Malfoy parody.

Hermione giggled then fell into a brown study.

Neville, on the other hand, gave both older boys a considering look. That gave him a lot to think about.

He spoke to Fred after about an hour of studying. "Fred, do you know where the main ward stone is? Yusuke wants to know. He's got something up his sleeve and it isn't his arm."

George answered him. "We know. We've been looking for it. I've got a ward stone detector I made. Bill ..." He grinned in a conspiratorial way. "he left a book or two laying about. We can't find it. We can find where it's not. Here, let me show you." He pulled a magnifying glass out of one of his pockets. Student robes might be cut too tight for Yusuke, but proper application of spell work made the pockets fairly large.

He handed the glass to Neville, polishing it on his shirt tail before doing so. "Here. Take a look through it. Ward stones show up as glowy bits. The brighter the glow the more powerful the stone. There's stones on the green houses, to keep the glass from breaking in hail storms. And some here and there over big stained glass windows and other fragile things. But we've yet to see the glow of a main stone. That should be just about blinding."

Neville, who had been scanning Hogwarts by turning in a circle with the glass to his eye, said softy, "It is." He handed the glass to Hermione who was practically bouncing in place in her eagerness for her turn.

Snatching the glass from Neville's fingers, Hermione turned to face the same way he'd been and put the glass to her eye. She blinked at what she saw then said, "Oh, my." She slowly lowered her hand. "Oh, heavens. And ..."

George took the glass from her lax fingers and looked for himself. He didn't say anything, just handed the glass to his twin. After Fred got a look they put their heads together, red hair mingling, and descended into twin-speak. They mumbled, twitched and gestured for several minutes.

When they were done with their parley, Fred turned to face them and said, "We need to get up there before whatever it is that has been changed is changed back. We can mark the spot then sneak back in later to recheck. Come on, we better hurry"

So they all grabbed up their robes, which they'd ditched earlier, and scurried through the corridors, dodging prefects and professors.

It didn't take them long to reach the Divination tower. Hermione took a bit of revenge on Professor Trelawney and opened a window with a flick of her wand. The resultant rush of fresh air cleared the miasma of years of incense from the classroom. All three boys snickered at the cobwebs and dust this revealed. Hermione snorted. The room was truly filthy.

"Oh, Merlin's duster. I wonder when she cleaned last." She pinned a twin with a glower. "No messing about ... where's that stone."

George put the glass to his eye and looked around. "Up that ladder."

"Isn't that Trelawny's private quarters? What will she think?" Hermione worried, but she hiked her robes up to her knees, revealing her jeans, and started to climb.

She was followed by Neville then Fred, George stayed below as lookout.

The ladder led up into a nook in what was obviously Professor Trelawny's lounge, or living room. The room was round, the full size of the top of the tower, and filled with furniture, bookcases and bibelots.

Fred motioned for Hermione to stay behind him, she did, but she kept one eye on the stairs behind them. They eased forward, exploring carefully. Hermione found herself gripping the back of Fred's robes nervously.

An odd sound attracted their attention so they eased toward one side of the room, opposite the fire place. What they found truly disgusted them both. Trelawny was passed out on her couch, drunk.

Hermione sighed, then said softly, "Euw! That's just ... awful. She shouldn't be allowed to teach if she's going to do that."

Fred hissed, "So? And Dumbledore is going to let his personal Seer get fired? Please."

"Right. Find that damn stone so we can get out of here. Honestly!" Hermione missed the little twitch Fred made at her language.

Fred didn't say anything about the slip, he just dug out the glass and looked around. "Not in this room. It's up there." He pointed at the stairs on the opposite side of the room, nearly hidden behind a table cluttered with an assortment of divination tools, from crystal balls to tarot cards, with several sets of rune stones scattered willy-nilly amongst them. It didn't make any sense that they were all jumbled together. Anyone who had taken one of Trelawney's classes knew that you shouldn't mix sets. Why, she'd never explained. Fred poked a bit of this and that, then shook his head. "Wonder if she's trying for a vision or just messy."

Hermione hissed, "Fred! Really!" Keep an eye on her. I'll go up and look for the stone."

"Ok. But hurry." Fred eased behind the table to do as Hermione said while Hermione went up the spiral stairs, feet silent in her trainers.

The bedroom was even messier than the lounge. Trelawney didn't seem to own anything but flowing skirts, fluttering blouses, fringed shawls and rattling jewelry, with a few fuzzy sweaters thrown in for good measure. This was proven by the fact that she never put anything in her closet, if she even had one, instead, her clothing was strewn across every flat or nearly flat surface available. Hermione shook her head, the women really did need a keeper.

When she looked through the glass, Hermione found the stone. She wondered if its location might have something to do with Trelawny's condition. It was located directly under her bed. This put it right over her couch and, on the next level down, her desk. As she didn't have a personal office, she did all her work in the class room. She must spend most of her time in direct contact with the circle of greatest effect of the main ward stone.

Hermione crawled under the bed to take a closer look.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected to see, but it wasn't a flat piece of black marble with faint carvings in it. Perhaps she'd been expecting something glowing with magic, impressive in its magnificent -- something. She felt vaguely disappointed. Crawling back out she scampered down the stairs,

"Fred, it's under her bed. Go up and take a look. Hurry! I think she's waking up." Hermione wanted Fred to see the stone, then they'd compare what they saw later.

Fred nodded, as he climbed the stairs, he hitched his robes up to keep from stepping on his hems. Neville, who'd stayed silent til now, followed him. Hermione gave him a weak smile as he passed.

Neville blinked at the mess that was Trelawny's bedroom. "Bloody hell. The woman's a pig."

Fred nodded, also looking a bit stunned. "Worse than Ron and Ginny combined." He shuddered dramatically then turned to the bed. "Well, I'll levitate the bed, you get a good look. Try to make a quick sketch."

Neville produced a small camera. "I can do better than that." At Fred's look he semi-snapped, "What! Creevey's the only one who might want a few pictures?" Fred just levitated the bed, he knew he'd hurt Neville's feelings, he'd make it up later.

Neville moved to take pictures, using his wand to cast shadows to get better contrast so the runes would show up. It didn't take him long to get several photographs from different angles.

"Ok, all done. Let's get out of here."

They all made it back to the juku in record time. They didn't see a single professor or prefect. They were just congratulating themselves when there was a knock on the door.

Hermione opened the door, backed by Neville, wand in hand. "Professor McGonagall! What are you doing here? We're not doing anything wrong."

The professor, for her part, looked frazzled. She was dressed in her tartan dress and navy blue over robe instead of teaching robes. "No, you're not doing anything wrong. I checked. Since no one was using these rooms and you're not impeding the normal operation of the school, it's fine. but that's not why I'm here." She took a deep breath, stepping into the room. "There's no easy way to say this. Fred ... George. I'm sorry to say that there's been another petrification. It was Ronald."

Fred exchanged a shocked look with George. "I see."

McGonagall took another deep breath. Hermione wondered if she was going to hyperventilate. "Miss Jones was also petrified. Please. I need to get you, Hermione. And Neville. Back to the common room. Fred, George. After that, I'll take you up to the Headmasters Office to meet your parents. Then ... I assume you'll all want to go see Ronald. After that ... I leave it up to Molly and Arthur. Come along then."

No one argued with her. They were all much too shocked.

After delivering Hermione and Neville to the common room, Professor McGonagall led the twins away.

.

Harry folded into the main lounge at Ken No Ie. His dansei jumped to their feet, bowing.

Yusuke nodded. "Watashi wa koko ni imasu." He produced a cigarette and started smoking. Harry flopped down on a couch, banishing his robes to a nearby chair. Men scurried around, making tea and snacks.

When they were done with all the respectful ceremonies needed for the arrival of their Kumicho, Yusuke explained exactly what had happened. He ended, "So, I have a formula for a solution to be sprayed onto parchment. It will cause the parchment to burst into flames if it isn't sprayed with a neutralizing solution within two or three seconds of exposure to air. Use it on your next communications. I don't care what you write, just send it by owl." He smirked, "I wonder if Ojiisan Agohigi opens mail himself?"

He got blank looks, but just waved a hand. "Never mind. I missed several reports, bring them to me." He emptied his cup. "And more of this tea. It's excellent." More scurrying resulted in more tea and snacks, as well as a pile of reports and documents. Yusuke sighed, being Kumicho was not all cake and waffles, there was a lot of work involved. Which included reading reports, financial statements and legal documents. He settled down to read.

His men kept him supplied with snacks, cigarettes and tea for several hours. He read from his arrival until nearly midnight. After he was done he settled in to think. He'd been given several names as 'people of interest'. Most of them had at least one child at Hogwarts, not all in Slytherin. He wondered about his brother, Ichigo's, advice. He decided to take it.

This meant that he was going to start eliminating the competition from the bottom up. He stood up and stretched. There was also something about an illegal fight club to deal with.

Now, all fight clubs were basically illegal but some more than others. This one did not have the sanction of the local authorities, in this case Yusuke, so it was going to have to be broken. He decided to leave that for Christmas Break.

For tonight, he went to Diagon Alley then into Knockturn Alley. There was a bar there that catered to low level Death Eaters and a few other undesirables. It needed a bit of control, control that it now lacked. Musashi-sama wanted it brought under control.

This resulted in Miyamoto Yusuke and his entire ninkyo-dantai entering the place.

One of the gaki opened the door, then stepped back to allow Yusuke to go first. Two men came directly behind him, stepping to each side of the door and taking up an at ease stance that made it easy to reach any weapon they carried. The bartender had never seen anything like this. They were all dressed in suits, shirt and tie. Yusuke had a flowing duster slung negligently over his shoulders. Yusuke stepped up to the bar.

"Beer."

The barkeep didn't bother to object, he didn't care how old a customer was, as long as they could see over the bar and had money. He drew a beer and thunked it down on the bar.

Yusuke picked up the mug and took a careful sip of the pale yellow stuff. He shuddered and eyed the stuff with disgust. The beer was thin, musty and sour, skunked. Yusuke tossed the full mug into the barkeepers face, mug, beer and all. "I said, beer. Not piss."

"That's the best in the house." The barkeeper considered hexing the boy, but one look at his companions changed his mind. He dried his face with a new bar towel. He wasn't yet aware that Yusuke was the most dangerous person in the room.

Yusuke stared at him until he began to fidget, then he said, "It's not the best. I'm no fool, you have to have better. If you don't, perhaps there's a problem I can fix." His look told the barkeep that he meant business.

"I used to have a better provider but he got scared off by the Ministry. I don't know who you are but ..."

Yusuke held up a hand. "Miyamoto Yusuke. Perhaps you have heard of me?" This wasn't as unusual a question as you might expect. The honest citizens might not have heard of Miyamoto but the under belly of the world surely had. It seemed that the bartender had connections so he did know who the Miyamoto family was.

"I see. Yes, I have. You offer protection? Real Protection?" The man looked more eager than Yusuke would have expected.  
"Yes, I do. I can hook you up with real guards."

The barkeep shrugged. "Won't do any good. All these rats won't scurry into the woodwork just for a couple of thugs. They'll just kill them, wreck the place and be back when I fix it up."

Yusuke held out one hand, palm up. "Ten per cent of your net profit." He looked into the man's eye and repeated, "Net. Not gross. Any whores pay you fifteen percent of their profit or go work the street. We get five percent of that. And no Death Eaters allowed. If they show, we'll deal. Think about it."

The barkeep didn't bother, he just dropped a Galleon into Yusuke's palm. "And you guarantee good merchandise, delivered daily. And no shakedowns without advance notice. Deal."

Yusuke snapped his hand closed around the gleaming coin. "Deal." He turned to signal his men. "We'll clear the place for tonight. That way word will get around. Point out the No shi o tabete oroka." The barkeeper gave him a puzzled look. "You call them Death Eaters. Point."

The barkeep just pointed out eight men. "Them. They're the worst. They hang around, don't pay, beat up paying customers and rape the whores."

A man standing near snorted, "How the hell can you rape a whore?"

Yusuke reached out his hand, flicked his fingers and lifted the man several inches into the air. He shook him hard, got into his face and snarled, "No means no. Whore or sister. If you take what is for sale, it's stealing; if it's sex, it's also rape. Simple. Spread the word." And with that, he threw the man across the room and out the door. Several people took the hint and scurried out after him.

The barkeep yelled, "Bar's closed for repairs, everyone out!" Most of the remaining occupants started shambling out the door, grumbling a bit but moving. No one really noticed the bits of paper Yusuke tossed to the four corners of the room. Ofuda which prohibited spell casting by wand users.

Some, including all the DE, stayed where they were, refusing to leave. This signaled the dansei to start putting people out. Each man chose an opponent and jumped them. Most of the stubborn ones were just that, stubborn and stupid. It didn't take long to get them out the door. None of them got the chance to pull a wand.

The Death Eaters were another story all together. They refused to move, the dansei refused to back down. This resulted in a confrontation with all the dansei on one side of the room and the DE's on the other.

Before they could engage, Yusuke snapped, "Teishi!" All the Yakuza froze at this. Yusuke straightened up from his elegant lean against the bar. "I'll deal. Relax." He handed his duster to one of his men, who folded it neatly and draped it over his arm.

Yusuke stepped into the middle of the room. He glanced around, calm and relaxed. "Death Eaters are not welcome here any longer. Spread the word. Now ... you may leave, or you may die. Choose."

Several of the men sneered at him. One snarled, "Impudent snot. I'll kill you myself." He tried to cast a spell, shouting "Difindo!" and pointing his wand. Nothing happened.

Yusuke was experienced enough not to let himself be distracted by anything so he caught the movement from the corner of his eye, just as one of his gaki yelled, "Sashigoro!" Yusuke fended off the attack from the side, ducking under the knife easily. He reached into mallet space and pulled out a katana. He preferred the shorter ninjato, but the katana was more dramatic so he used it. Impressions were important, especially at this early stage of the game.

The knife-wielding death eater attacked again. This time, Yusuke stepped to one side, cut off the man's hand, then his head and returned to his ready stance. The whole performance took approximately two seconds.

Ito Ken-ichi, Yusuke's Wakagashira in England, leaned in to whisper in his ear. His advice was simple; Sorera o subete korosu! Yusuke didn't bother to turn his head when he replied, Hai!

He turned his cold gaze to the room and said, "Omae o Koruso." in a dead, flat tone that made his gaki shudder.

This sparked the remaining DE's to mob this young upstart, which was not that good an idea.

The rush only made sure that they got in each other's way, allowing Yusuke to pick and choose his targets. It also prohibited anyone from using spells, beside the fact that the ofuda prevented casting. They would just waste their efforts on 'friendly fire'.

The mass of DE's began to diminish rather quickly as Yusuke dashed through it, slashing right and left. Heads flew and blood splattered, leaving the bartender grumbling about blood on the ceiling.

Another running pass, called Taki no Kiru, finished the job, bodies fell like bamboo stalks.

None of the gaki were surprised that everyone not yakuza on their side of the bar was dead. Except for one man. This man had his right hand cut off at the wrist.

Yusuke flicked the blood off his sword and stuck it back in mallet space. "Fix him. I don't want him to bleed to death." He waived his hand, removing all the blood and mess his Armani suit had collected. He turned his back on the man holding his coat. The man carefully draped the coat back over his shoulders, smoothing the material gently.

While Yusuke lit a cigarette, the dansei healed the remaining Death Eater. When they were done, Yusuke strolled over.

"You! Listen to me. This place is not yours. It is mine. If you idiots choose to follow someone who brands you like cows and tortures you for his amusement ... well, that's your problem. Do not bring it into my Ryōiki." At his puzzled look, Yusuke corrected, "Domain. I claim this area you call Knockturn Alley as mine. I will hold it." He watched as the man made it to the door.

The Death Eater turned, snarled, "My Lord will not stand for this." then he disappeared into the night, clutching the stump of his wrist.

Yusuke shook his head. He turned to Ito and said, "Ken-ichi-san, hire as many men as you need to keep Knockturn Alley ours. Take your funds from the Ministry Warchest."

Ken-ichi just bowed deeply and said, "Hai, Kumicho1"

Yusuke nodded to the stunned looking barkeeper and strolled out the door. Most of his men followed him, the rest stayed behind to help clean up the blood.

"Ken-ichi-san." Yusuke took his Wakagashira by the arm and folded back to Ken No Ie. "Sit down." Yusuke took off his duster and handed it to a waiting man, Ken-ichi did the same with his jacket.

They sat on facing chairs, discussing what to do next. Yusuke told his man about the petrifications at the school. Ken-ichi thought about it for a while, Yusuke smoked and drank his tea, patiently waiting until Ken-ichi made a decision.

"Ok, Boss, this is how I see it. We don't know enough. Those books just ... disappeared into nowhere. I'll send a man tomorrow to buy more. I think I'll have them hand delivered at ... lunch?" Yusuke nodded. "Perhaps I should have all our correspondence hand delivered?"

"Yes, good idea. And all Longbottom-san's as well. Take it directly to him, don't include it in my dispatch."

"Ok, Boss, you got it."

Yusuke sighed, cracked his neck then looked at his watch. "Time for me to get back. I better fold to the main gates then walk up. I think my folding messed with the main wards, not good." He stood up. "Good night."

A man started to put his coat over his shoulders but Yusuke took it, with thanks, and folded it over his arm. He folded away to cries of, "Oyasumi, Kumicho!" "Yoku ne, Kumicho!"

He appeared just outside the gates. He could have walked from the house to the gates but he didn't want to attract attention to the house just yet. He ambled up the path, smoking one final cigarette as he went.

He was most displeased to find Professor McGonagall waiting for him in the front courtyard, sitting in a small gazebo in its center. He was even more displeased when she said, "Mr ... Yusuke. I'm sorry to tell you this. Ronald Weasley was petrified earlier this evening. We searched for you until Mr Longbottom said that you'd left on business." She gave him a stern look. "I'd appreciate it if you would, in future, let me know you are leaving the school." The expression that followed could only be described as a pleased smirk. "I was sent copies of certain documents by a friend in ... ahem ... high places. I still have a few contacts left from the bad old days. They were very interesting." She definitely winked, "And a certain someone will not find out about them from me. Your personal business is exactly that ... personal, and private." She sighed, "You are a very ... unusual young man. I feel that your parents would be very proud of you." She stood, her robes rustling softly. "Come then, let's get you to your common room."

Yusuke leaned against one door pillar of the gazebo McGonagall had been sitting in. "Weasley? Ha. Anyone else?"

“Megan Jones, Hufflepuff. I don't need to tell you to keep this to yourself ... but they were found in a very ... compromising position. And Albus isn't doing anything. He even confiscated books sent to Miss Granger. I sometimes wonder what that man is thinking." She stiffened then clamped her lips together, obviously regretting her disclosures.

"Ah! Well, never mind. We should go. You're obviously tired and in need of tea." Yusuke offered the professor his arm, which she took. "We'll go now, yes?"

McGonagall nodded, took his arm and agreed, "Yes, we'll go now."

On the way to the common room they made small talk. Simple, polite conversation about nothing much. Both were content with the fact that they had joined forces.

At the door to the common room, they parted, Yusuke to enter and Professor McGonagall to make her cautious way the forty or so feet to her quarters.

.

Rumors flooded Diagon and Knockturn Alleys the next day. Rumors that a big mob was hiring muscle. Rumors that the mob wasn't local and their enforcer was a demon with a huge sword.

Remus Lupin didn't much care one way or another. He just needed a job. He'd been fired again, for two reasons. One, he'd missed too many days; two, Dumbledore had let it slip that he was a were by asking him, right in the shop, if he'd contacted Damon Withers yet. Damon Withers was well known as the alpha of a werewolf pack. So, he was out of two things, a job, and patience with Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

Remus had always tried to be a good person, kept out of trouble, taken what jobs he could get. Now, he was done. He wasn't going to turn into a wild-eyed killer or anything like that, but he didn't see any reason not to use his true strength and skills to his advantage. The word on the alleys was that the big boss wanted strong, scary types for guard duties. Remus didn't think he was scary, but he could certainly try.

He found the short dead end where the hiring office was located. It was lined up from the office, around the corner and down the side alley. He sighed and resigned himself to a long wait. He snarled to himself, a rumble deep in his chest.

This attracted the attention of the man he was standing behind. He glared over his shoulder. Remus gave him a slight lift of his lip, a were sign. Obviously the man either recognized him, or his condition. He found himself, somehow, standing in front of the much larger man.

Then it happened again. And again. And again. It took him about 45 minutes to be at the head of the line. And he was feeling pretty good about himself. He hadn't had to do much more than lift a lip, or clear his throat to attract attention. He'd actually made a jump of about fifteen men as one member of the group recognized him and the whole group gave him an easy pass.

"Next."

Remus stepped up to the table and realized that the hiring clerk was Japanese. He whispered softly, "Yakuza."

"Is that a problem?" The hiring clerk was not local, Ken-ichi-wakagashiri had brought him in from Japan because of his good English. Now the clerk showed that he wasn't just a common clerk, his sharp look proved it.

"No, not a problem. Just ... I always wanted to travel. I found Japan interesting, especially the pack mentality of the Yakuza." Remus hoped he didn't have to beat the man over the head with his furry little problem.

"Ah. I see. Yes." The clerk produced paper and pen, handed them to Remus and said, "Fill this out. You may sit over there." He pointed to a long table off to the side.

Remus went over and sat down with a dozen other men. He realized that most of them were having trouble with the writing implements so he gave them a quick run down on how paper and biro worked. He turned his attention to his own work and quickly filled out the necessary information.

It was amazingly like and horrifyingly different from every other employment questionnaire he'd ever done.

Some of the questions were the usual, name, address, education, any degrees; others were quite disturbing, any experience with fire arms, poisons, explosives, what battle spells he might know, physical strength, ability to kill. He finished the last question then went to the next table at the back of the dead end.

He handed the application to the clerk at that table. The clerk read it over quickly, looked up at him eyes narrowed then asked, "Werewolf?"

"Yes. Problem?" Remus resigned himself to another lost opportunity.

"You ever bite someone on purpose?" an even narrower eyed look accompanied this.

"No. And I won't. I'll use my strength, skills, and education to your benefit. I'll even growl, if it's required but I won't bite anyone." He started to turn, but the last question froze him in place.

"Do you have a source of wolfsbane, or do we need to find you one?" 

"I'll need you to find me one. And a safe room." Remus let his hope build.

"That's acceptable. You're hired. Welcome to the Miyamoto ninko-dantai. We've made arrangements for you to be port keyed to Oojisama's home for indoctrination and training. You can wait wherever you like, be back here at 6pm. yes?" The clerk waited patiently while Remus got control of himself.

"Yes. That would be fine. Thank you." Remus knew he wouldn't do it right, but he knew that bowing was important so he did his best.

"Ah. Excellent. I think you will work out fine." The clerk bowed back, to the proper degree.

Remus accepted a slip of paper with some kanji on it, and went off to Flourish and Blots to see what he could find on Japan. His fantasy research had been done years ago.  
.

Odoshi - bully  
Yawamiso - weakling  
Kachi ga - worthless  
O okonawanai - not done  
kategi - non-yakuza  
baka yaro - dumb fucker  
Watashi wa koko ni imasu - I am here.  
No shi o tabete oroka - fools who eat death  
Sorera o subete korosu - kill them all  
Taki no Kiru - cutting bamboo. For imagery, watch Ruroni Kinshin or Samurai X

 

You might notice that some of the Japanese spelling vacillates between ō and u. The reason this happens is due to the different translators I used and which list I copy/paste the word from.


	16. Chapter 16

16  
The next morning was one of those that Neville hated. Hand to hand training against Yusuke was hard, he much preferred kata with his own personal sword. He knew that Yusuke was taking it easy on him, but he still wound up hurting.

Yusuke on the other hand was ready for a bit of an easy workout. Hitogoroshi of any kind always made him a bit twitchy.

Neville smiled his appreciation as the first thing Yusuke did was tell him, "Neville, I'm not good at compliments. My gaki, or dansei, are used to getting nothing more than a nod or smile. In Japan we don't go in for effusive compliments. Or what we'd think of as that. So, I apologize, I realize that you need more. So after tai chi, I'll go over what you're doing and what you need to do to improve. Does that sound agreeable?"

Neville brightened considerably. "Yes, more than. I realize that you're not comfortable giving compliments, so I really appreciate any that I get. An analysis of my ... forms?" Harry relaxed and nodded. "forms ... would be a big help. And ... I don't even know if you accept questions. Do you?"

Harry laughed lightly, then nodded, high pony tail swishing. "I don't mind questions. As long as you don't ask the same ones over and over again. Once or twice is ok. I realize that no one has a memory like mine so I do tend to answer, I just hate to get the feeling that what I'm telling you isn't sinking in."

Neville snorted. "I have a reputation as forgetful. That's Gran's fault. She has always had the habit of rattling off lists like a machine gun and never waiting for questions. When I was younger, it just overwhelmed me, now I just tell her to write it all down, have done since third year. But ..." He cleared his throat, obviously uneasy. "I have a bunch." 

"Well, we better get started then." Harry turned and walked silently to the hard floor of the dojo. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Neville hesitating. "Come on, then, let's get started."

And start they did. Harry led Neville through all the forms and stances. The kata was long and difficult. Harry found it soothing, Neville found it nerve wracking.

Harry patted Neville on one heaving shoulder. "You're doing very well. Come. We'll drink some tea and go over everything. I think ... I'll do your analysis, then you can ask any questions that my once over hasn't answered. Yoi?"

Neville nodded. "Hai, Kumicho. Yoi."

"Excellent. You're doing very well, learning Japanese. Why do you want to?" Harry's tone of voice was easy and light.

Neville accepted a cup of the green tea that an elf delivered. "Longbottom Greenhouses, LTD. does a lot of business with Japan. We produce some of the best herbal potions ingredients in the world. About a third of it goes to Japan. Uncle took me once, several years ago. I really liked it. I want to go visit some of my customers, and I think it would make a good impression if I can at least manage the niceties. See?''

Harry sipped his tea for a moment, savoring the sweet, green taste. "I do. And that is a very good idea. But don't talk like I do." Neville looked blank. "I talk like what I am. Yakuza. I can speak perfect Japanese, when I need to." At Neville's skeptical snort, he returned, "What? I do what needs to be done. If that means to speak out of character for me, that's what I'll do."

Harry sipped his tea then started in on a complete analysis of Neville's kata which included a criticism of everything from foot placement to wrist angle to telling him to quit closing his eyes.

Neville was beginning to wonder if it was any use at all for him to even continue when Harry ended, "But, all in all, I haven't had a better, quicker student ... ever. Very well done. Totemo yoku yatta."

Neville's expression of pride made Harry smile. "Really?"

"You know, that's really close to calling me a liar." But Harry's smile didn't fade.

Neville just poured Harry more tea. "Arigato, Yusuke-sensei."

"Sore wa nanimasen."

They drank tea for a while longer then went back to the dorm to clean up.

They had potions double then lunch, a free period followed that.

Potions was very dull as Professor Snape put a potion formula on the board then directed them to copy it down, figure out what was wrong with it, tell what the correction was then explain what the error would have done and what the potion was. Then he plopped himself down behind his desk in a most graceless fashion and began to read a potions journal. He looked up at the stunned expressions, barked, "Well? Get to it!" and returned to his reading.

Hermione eyed Harry for a moment then turned to Neville. "Are you going to need help?"

Neville glanced at the formula then sighed, "I don't know. It's herbal, but ... I don't recognize it. Harry?"

"Boku? Nani? Wa o wasurete iru ... I don't do potions. I get the experts at home to make all of mine. Yes?" Harry settled to copy down the formula while both Hermione and Neville snickered softly. They were both getting better at understanding Harry's Japanese interjections. He wasn't getting any better at remembering his English, and they didn't see any hope that he would.

After all, he'd told them repeatedly that he didn't want to be there. The only reason he was, was because his father asked him to come so that the family wouldn't lose the Potter fortune to the Ministry.

Hermione finally worked up the nerve to ask, "Yusuke, I ... well, you can refuse to answer, of course, but how large is the Potter holding?"

Harry eyed his notes for a moment as he thought. He decided that she deserved an answer. "It isn't huge, the Potters were no Gates or anything, but it is large. About three million dollars net, US." He glanced at Neville. "About one hundred thousand Galleons. Not that large."

Hermione scowled at the board for a moment then grumbled, "All in property, I'll bet."

"No, less than half of it. And that doesn't take into account the fact that about two-thirds is invested in interest bearing bonds. The rest is manufactory. However, there's a considerable number of very valuable heirlooms that aren't included as they're not taxable." 

Hermione looked confused. "I don't get it then."

Harry smirked at her confusion. "The problem is, most of the Potter fortune comes from industry. The Black fortune is mostly invested in things like vineyards, farms and other properties. The Ministry can't touch it, but they can take all the liquid assets that make it possible to run and maintain the properties. We could manage quite well, but it's really annoying. And, Father just hates to let okami get the better of the ninkyo-dantai. So here I am." He shrugged. He knew that both Neville and Hermione were even more confused than ever and he had no intention of clearing it up. He agreed to answer, but not to explain the answer.

He returned to his work, satisfied that his non-answer would satisfy their curiosity for a while. He never thought that Neville would understand more than Hermione. But Neville was wise enough to keep his thoughts to himself. Harry's business was exactly that, Harry's. Neville was sure that he'd take questions about Longbottom business worse than Harry had.

The double period passed quietly as everyone consulted their books and worked on the assignment. When class was over, Harry, as usual, was hungry. But he was not inclined to eat in the Great Hall. He had finally admitted, to both himself and his friends, that he found eating there a trial. The noise and commotion annoyed him while the foods stank to his nose. And Weasley's eating habits had not improved, no matter the fact that Yusuke had threatened him repeatedly.

At the door, Draco Malfoy blocked them in, with a little help from Crabbe and Goyle.

Yusuke shook his head, that idiot was never going to learn. He wondered vaguely if the boy had a learning disability or memory problem, or did he just not get it?

He grumbled under his breath as he stepped up behind Neville with Hermione only a step behind. She resented it a bit that she was backup, but decided to keep an eye on Pansy Parkinson as that b - witch was sneaky and standing directly behind Draco. This meant that none of the boys could see what she was doing.

Yusuke saw something out of the corner of his eye and realized that it was Snape, silently slipping into his office. He decided he'd deal with that later and turned his attention back to the situation at hand.

The situation turned out to be nothing more than some childish name calling on Malfoy's part. Neville was giving as good as he got too.

"Muggle loving blood-traitor." Malfoy's sneer needed practice, which Neville announced in an aside to Hermione.

"Rat faced, thin blooded, over bred twit."

Malfoy's face was already alarmingly red. Yusuke wondered if he was aiming for a stroke before he was fifty.

Malfoy snarled, "You think you're so smart. We'll see how smart you are after Crabbe and Goyle get done with you." He snapped his fingers. "Get him." Pansy took this opportunity to make her escape down the hall.

The two moved forward but were blocked by Yusuke. "Malfoy, call off your Kyōaku-han, before they get hurt." His cold tone made both thugs pause to glance at their so called friend. Malfoy jerked his head in Neville's direction, so they started towards him.

One step was all it took. Yusuke stepped back to clear the door, and the fight was on.

Unfortunately for the three Slytherins, it didn't last long.

Crabbe followed Yusuke into the room with a cruel smirk on his face. It didn't stay there, Yusuke wiped it off with an efficient back hand. The blow was hard enough to drive the boy to his knees.

Goyle got his head around the fact that he was supposed to be backing Crabbe up just that little bit too late. Neville neatly punched him in the stomach, remembering Yusuke's cautions about punching hard heads. Goyle gagged then puked, Neville danced out of the way.

Yusuke levitated both goons out of the way with a wave of his hand, dropping both of them to one side. He really didn't want this to escalate into a magical fight, he'd probably kill one of them. He didn't want the aggravation.

As he was removing the two idiots, Malfoy was beginning to regret ignoring his father's orders. He'd been stewing about the knives, finally realizing that there was some insult involved but not what it was. Until Pansy Parkinson enlightened him. Due to that insult, he was beginning to lose the reins of Slytherin, slipping down the pecking order, and he was desperate to recover. He'd thought that bullying Weasley would give him a boost up. It was proving to be a disaster, instead.

He stepped forward, wand raised; just one step that put him in harms way. Before Yusuke or Neville could get to him, he tried to hex Hermione. This put him too close to her. She dodged his clumsy spell work, letting the hex pass by her shoulder. Then she punched him right in the face.

He screamed like a girl, Hermione cursed like a sailor. "Ow! Mother fuck! Damn it!” She shook her throbbing hand, trying to shake away the pain.

Yusuke grabbed Malfoy by the neck and shook him like a rag. "You! OI! Shinda hito." Meanwhile, Neville was examining Hermione, patting her down to see where she'd been hurt.

Hermione batted at Neville one handed. "Stop that! I'm not hexed. I ... I think I broke my hand on his damn hard head."

Neville took the injured member in his hands and gently poked at her thumb. "You're right. Oi! Yusuke. Leave that idiot. She's broken her thumb."

Yusuke backed up and dropped Malfoy back on his feet. He immediately fell flat, his thighs still trembling with fear. The odd squelching sound and sharp, acidic stench left no doubt of exactly what had happened.

Yusuke would have been insulted, he might be later; but for now; he had a friend to take care of.

He took Hermione's hand from Neville. "Mmmm, not bad. You've broken ... I don't know the English. This. Or dislocated it." He felt gently for a second. "It's broken. Sorry."

Hermione cradled her hand against her chest. "I'll just go to Madam Pomfrey. She'll fix it right up."

Yusuke scowled, "And get you in trouble for fighting. I can fix it ... if you trust me." He waited calmly while Hermione thought it over. He glowered at Malfoy who had tried to sneak out, the idiot fell back to the floor. Crabbe and Goyle were still down too.

Finally, she extended her hand, "Ok. I trust you. Will it hurt?"

"A bit." He took her hand carefully, cradling it carefully in strong fingers. "Oh! Neville!"

His sharp exclamation caused Hermione to twist around to see what was going on with Neville. Neville gave her a deer in the headlights look then winced.

Yusuke had used the distraction to set her thumb then heal it with a quick spell. Hermione only managed one pained yelp.

"There, all better." Yusuke couldn't help a sly grin. "I'll have to teach you how to punch properly, and where. Never on the head. Bone. See?"

Hermione aimed a half hearted swat at him then said, "You! But thanks for the healing. And I do need to learn how to punch if you're going to drag your fights down to physical battery."

Yusuke gave her a raised eyebrow, arrogant look that only he could manage. "And why should I waste my magic on that tsumetai niku ... that unchi. It's ... not done. Come on. Food, I'm hungry."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Neville, resolving to look up the new words in her dictionary at lunch. Neville, on the other hand, already knew the words. He was building up a real vocabulary of swear words in Japanese, just from living in the dorm with the No Wakai Omo.

Neville skirted around Crabbe, Hermione stepped over Goyle, giving him a sharp kick on the way. Yusuke eyed all three of their opponents, said, "Oi! Listen to me, know who I am. I am Miyamoto Yusuke, Kumicho of the Yamaguchi Ninkyo-Dantai. Baka!" He gathered his gumi with a glance, and they headed off for lunch in the juku.

.

The second the three Gryffindors were gone, Snape re-entered the class room. He dismissed Crabbe and Goyle with a potion and a healing wave of his wand. Talking to either of them was an exercise in futility, they'd do what Draco told them to. Draco on the other hand was due a tongue lashing.

Professor Snape pounced on his godson, figuratively, and hit like a bludger. "You young idiot! Didn't Lucius tell you to keep away from him?" he didn't wait for a reply, storming away from Draco to fetch a potion. "What he called himself is what you better pay attention to. He's a Yakuza Kumicho and the son of the Kakusareta kazoku." He turned in time to catch Draco's snort of derision. "Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" suddenly he was in Draco's face. "You think your father is bad? Or that I am?" Draco nodded. "I'm scared of that boy. That look." suddenly he sniffed. "Ugh! Soiled yourself and still denying things." He flicked his wand. "Get out! Just get out. Write to your father. I'm going to. And one more stupid stunt like this last and I'll disown you straight to your face."

Draco whimpered, gathered his scattered things and scurried out. He was now on the bottom of the pecking order, and he knew it. Potter would suffer for this humiliation.

.

Lucius Malfoy reacted to the two letters by sending his son a scathing rebuke, telling him again to stay away from the young Kumicho and his friends. It would work, for a while. Lucius just hoped it would be long enough.

.

Meanwhile, lunch was served in the juku.

Lockhart wandered in to see what was going on. How he'd gotten their location was a puzzle that was easily answered the second he barged in the door.

"And what do we have here? An unsanctioned dining hall?" He smiled in a rather oily way and shook his head, "Tisk, tisk. Shame on you." He glanced around, "Ah! Sashimi. I do believe I'll have a bite."

Hermione rolled her eyes in irritation. "It's sushi. And this is obviously a study hall."

"No, no, my dear. It's definitely sashimi. I should know." He popped a bite into his mouth then gagged. Doing his best to hide it, he coughed, "Wrong pipe." He straightened his teaching robes, royal blue today, and ambled toward the door. "Well, study hard."

Neville snorted but returned his attention to his book.

Yusuke took a moment to keep from killing the idiot then went to his desk. "I think I'll put up a bit of a forbidding."

Hermione latched onto that. "What's a forbidding?"

"It's a type of ward. I don't usually use them, but in this case I'll make an exception." He fiddled with some paper for a moment then started to write. He scowled and tossed the paper, it wasn't what he needed.

After three more tries, he crumpled up his last effort and demanded, "What the hell does Gilderoy actually mean anyway. I need to describe him. Lockhart is nonsense but ..." he trailed off in aggravation.

Hermione shrugged and answered, "Gilderoy (pronounced "GIL-deh-roy") is a variant of the Irish Gaelic name Gilroy, meaning son of the red-headed. A misnomer, if you ask me. His hair is ... aggressively blond."

"I did." Harry snickered, smoke rolling out of his nostrils. "Misnomer is right. I don't imagine him as red headed." He fiddled a bit more then tossed an ofuda at the top of the door frame. "Kaishi!" The ofuda glowed for a moment then disappeared. "That should keep the idiot out."

Hermione sighed gustily, "Well, thank goodness. I wish one would keep him out of the classroom. But ..."

Neville wondered, "Why not?"

"He's the Defense professor."

Harry shrugged elegantly. "And?"

Hermione huffed in irritation. "But ... he'd surely notice and deactivate it."

Harry twirled the end of his ponytail around one finger. "Name's not Shirley. And I do think he wouldn't notice, nor know how to deactivate it. He probably spent most of his time in Japan with whores and sake."

Hermione glowered at him. "And what do you know about either?"

Neville gulped and murmured, "Oh, man."

Harry scowled. "Quite a bit. You forget what I am. I was taught to have a very hard head. I could probably drink most grown men under the table and I'm no blushing virgin either." at Hermione's outraged look he continued, "My family doesn't deal in shoufu but we do deal in sake, import and export. And, of course, I'm expected to know about such things, in the way of business."

Hermione gave up on that line, she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with it. "Ok, ok. But ... um ..." Her face flamed scarlet. "do you have the tattoos? I mean, I wouldn't think you could have many ... much? at your age but ... tattoos are just so fascinating."

Harry looked at her for a minute. He wasn't used to this sort of thing, everyone he knew had tattoos, most were working on full body. But Hermione's eyes were shining with interest and excitement, so he didn't have the heart to turn her down.

"I'll show you mine, if you like." Harry stood up and started removing his robes, a matter of shrugging them off his shoulders and tossing them over his desk.

"Oh, yes! Please!" Hermione bounced a bit.

"I'm not stripping down to a fundoshi, but I'll take off my shirt. Ok?" Harry had to laugh a bit, Hermione could be excited by the oddest things.

"That's fine." Hermione watched as Harry pulled his t-shirt off over his head. She was still a bit outraged at his clothing and did wonder how he got away with wearing open, swept back robes over BDU's. While he was finishing removing his shirt, Hermione exclaimed, "Oh, damn. We all forgot somehow. We found the ward stone."

Harry dropped his t-shirt on top of his robes. "I wondered when you were going to get around to finding that." He turned to look at Neville who gave him back a horrified stare. "Forgot about it, didn't you?"

Hermione nodded, biting at her lip, humiliated that she'd forgotten something so important. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Ron getting petrified would put most anyone off their game. I just figured you hadn't found it yet." He watched Hermione as she managed to get her attention back to the subject at hand. His tattoo's.

Harrys tattoo's included Dragons, koi, peonies and Japanese iris.

He held his arms out to the sides so that Hermione could see the dragon writhing across his back, tail disappearing under his waist band. It started with the head on his right shoulder and pectoral, head pointed at his waist with the neck going over his shoulder, one seven clawed paw clutching the curve of his shoulder. It swooped across his back just under his shoulder blades and across his abdomen, around his waist. The one clawed paw that could be seen griped then loosened. The dragon writhed amongst a thick bed of peonies which budded, bloomed and died, revealing then concealing full bloomed Iris and a swarm of koi which swam around fluttering their fins realistically.

Hermione made a small sound, like a squashed mouse as Neville was to say later. "Oh, Oh. Beautiful. Is it a full body?"

"Sou desu. From here, to here." He pointed to the scooped neckline then his knee. "They're poked."

Hermione blinked but Neville asked, "Poked?"

"The old tattoo technique. It allows for better detail. It's considered more painful." he shrugged, "Actually, I didn't think it hurt more than machine. I had a few touchups here and there with a machine." He turned around again. "I just got the last of them before I came here."

Hermione aware how long it took to do a full body whimpered. "Either you started really young or you did a bunch of long sessions."

Harry lit a cigarette and drew in a lungful. "A bit of both. I asked to get tat's when I was ten?" they could hear the question in his voice. "Chi-chi-ue thought I'd chicken out until I was older so he gave the go ahead. I didn't ... chicken out, that is. So, I took short sessions until I was thirteen then started longer one's. Magical tattoos grow but I still needed a bit of fill in here and there."

Hermione reached out, drew back, then reached out again. "Can I touch? Please?" At Harry's nod she stroked his arm then his stomach. "How far ... er ... I've seen pictures of old Yakuza on line..."

Harry chuckled and pushed his pants and trousers down to an almost indecent level. "Full body. Old style." His abdominals twitched as Hermione ran her hand over them. He smacked her hand. "A bit too personal there. Way below the belt." Harry gave her a rather faint scowl. 

Hermione flushed scarlet. "I'm so sorry. It's just ... so fascinating. The tattoo doesn't feel any different from the tattooed skin. really ... but ..." she sighed. "Never mind. Thank you for showing me and letting me touch."

Harry glanced at Neville, who just shrugged then said, "Ward stone?"

"Yes, ward stone. Fill me in." He picked up his t-shirt and started to pull it on over his head, cigarette still firmly clamped between two fingers.

Neville felt stupid, something he was fairly used to. "Well, we found it in Trelawny's quarters. I'm so sorry. We ... well..."

Harry waved a hand in irritation, trailing smoke from the cigarette held between his first two fingers. "It's not important. Finding the ward stone to play a prank on bullies is way down on the important list. So, belt up."

"Ok." Neville flexed his hands, making a fist, clenching it then releasing. His biceps bulged. "What next?"

"We go in, set the ofuda and get out. Without getting caught." Harry tucked his shirt into his trousers then buckled his belt. "Does she have a class now?"

Hermione consulted her ever present black schedule book. "No. She has office hours all afternoon. She'll be passed out, drunk, by about three."

Harry made a face. "Drunken professors, Death Eaters in the castle, that idiot Lockhart. What the hell is Ojiisan Agohigi thinking?"

Neville had done a great deal of thinking about exactly that, so now he offered, "He's Headmaster, Chief Warlock of the English Wizangamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Council of Wizardry. He's also advisor to Fudge and has something to do with several other advisory positions. He's too busy. Hogwarts is taking fourth or even fifth place. When's the last time we saw him here before dinner?"

Hermione nodded. "Neville! You're right. This is bad, really, really bad. But ..." She stopped dithering to bite at her lip.

Harry shrugged in a negligent manner. "Not our problem. Let the Board of Governors handle what they should, or not. We keep each other safe, watch our backs and do what we need to do. So ..." He gave a sly smile that would have made a shark start sweating and motioned to Hermione to precede him to the door. "We make bullies ashamed. Yes?"

Neville snorted. "Some of them wouldn't be shamed by direct insult. But we can try."

Harry bowed to Hermione, saying, "Oh, but Hermione-dono can quote rule or regulation, chapter and verse, page, paragraph and line. Right?" Hermione smirked and nodded. "So ... we go to Assistant Headmistress McGonagall and demand justice. If they bear the mark, they must have done something, all that needs doing is to find out what. And, once they find out that someone gets punished, they will come forward. Even if I have to help them."

Hermione bowed back. "Hai, hai! Kumicho. It shall be as you say."

Neville snickered at this. Harry bopped him on the back of the head. "Ow! Wha'd I do?"

Harry gave him a pseudo innocent look that fooled exactly no one. "Nothing." He crushed out the butt of his cigarette, banished it, lit another and smoked for a moment. "What say we sneak up to Trelawny's and see if she's passed out yet?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "Ok, but I'll bring this along." She produced a tarot deck. "That way, if she's still compos, I can distract her." she stuffed it into a pocket, for once, leaving her precious book bag behind.

It didn't take them long to make it to the Divination classroom. Trelawny wasn't there so they sneaked into her quarters. She was there, smelling like sherry and half passed out on her couch. She snorted once as they slipped quietly through the room, rubbing her nose which had been tickled by an errant strand of her frizzy hair, she fell back to sleep.

Hermione motioned for the two young men to go ahead, whispering, "Go! I'll keep an eye on her. If she wakes up, I'll ... make some excuse. Go!" she fished in a pocket. "Damn, I really need to take a memory potion. Here. It's a schematic I did of the array on the stone."

Yusuke took the parchment, examined it for a moment then said, "Ok. This is good. If she wakes up, just tell her she wanted to see your deck. That'll throw her off the scent. Then pour her some sherry, start a reading and just let her do the rest. Ok?" He patted Hermione on the shoulder, resolving to take her somewhere to have some fun, she was way too stressed, evidenced by her forgetfulness.

Hermione nodded, keeping her eyes on the professor. "Good. Thanks. Get moving."

Yusuke bowed in a mocking manner that made her swat at him then moved quickly up the stairs. Neville was already up them, having climbed up while they were talking.

Yusuke glanced around then grimaced. "Not much for picking up, is she?"

"No, she's a right pig." Neville pulled his wand out of his sleeve. "I'll levitate the bed." At a questioning look from his compatriot he explained, "The stone is under it."

Yusuke scowled. "That's right over her couch."

Neville nodded then said, "And over her desk next level down. I don't think that's very good for her. Is it?"

"No, it's not. In fact, being within the influence of a master ward stone for long periods has been proven to cause all sorts of problems. Physical and mental. Give me a minute to look at Hermione's schematic." It didn't take him long to figure out what he needed to do. He sighed, shed his robes and headed for the bed. "Well, let's get this over with. And we need to do something fun really soon. Hermione and you are way too stressed out."

Neville grumbled, "Well, I do wonder why. What with petrifications, inept Defense professors and what not all." But he levitated the bed easily. "There. Is that high enough?"

Yusuke nodded and strolled beneath the heavy bed without a single upward glance. He turned the parchment until it was oriented the same way as the array and studied both for a few moments. "Ok, there, Neville?"

"Fine. Getting anywhere?" Neville's voice didn't betray any strain.

"Yes. Just needs a few more minutes. I've got it figured out, now all I have to do is carve the kanji. Or, runes." he thought for a moment. "Just the kanji, I think. I really don't care if they figure out who did this." He produced a small set of stone carving tools. These were usually used to carve chops but they would do quite well for what was wanted here. He set to work and finished quickly. He stood up with a grunt, grumbling a bit at the dust on his clothes. 

"Neville, I've finished." He looked around at the messy room. "I really do wish that we had time to clean in here. It's not good for her to live like this. I wonder why the house elves don't clean."

Neville lowered the bed when Yusuke got out of his way, remarking as he did so, "I don't know. Why don't we ask one?"

Yusuke just called, "Oi! Sābisu o, kudasai." An elf popped in at the demand for service, made an odd 'eep' and bowed. "Why is this room so filthy, and the rest of this place?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore, he is saying that we cannot clean unless we is called. She is never calling. Kippy is sorry, young master."

"Don't apologize for what is not your fault. After we .." he pointed to Neville then motioned down the stairs. "are gone, wake the professor and just tell her you will clean from now on. Don't ask, just do."

Kippy nodded vigorously. "Yes, young master."

Neville just grinned. "Yusuke, your kumicho is showing."

"Damare." But Yusuke grinned back.

They slipped down the stairs to find Hermione still standing behind the table, and Trelawny sprawled half off the couch.

Hermione tugged at Yusuke's hand. "We have to do something. She's really not well." She began to wring her hands, looking worried.

"Don't worry. I've put it in the hands of the house elves." he smirked in a very self satisfied way. "And, while I was at it, I shielded these quarters from the effects of the ward stone. It's something that the original makers should have done."

Neville hissed. "Be quiet. You'll wake her up. Come on, we can gossip like old women in the juku."

So they returned to the juku to run right into Hermione in full investigative mode. "Ok, Yusuke, I need my array plot back." Harry handed it over easily.

Hermione sat down to examine it, taking several minutes to do so. "Ok, I have a question. This array is supposed to protect all the inhabitants of Hogwarts from outside danger, invasion and various other things, some of which don't even exist anymore. So ... why are people being petrified?"

Yusuke lit a cigarette while he thought. Neville just worried at a torn nail.

After exhaling a cloud of smoke, Yusuke opined, "Well, it seems to me, the wards aren't in real good shape. No matter what Dumbledore and the Governors say. So, one of two things, either the threat is from inside the school, or it's something the wards don't cover."

Neville held out a hand to Hermione, "I don't know a lot about wards in general, but I do know about exclusionary wards." Hermione gave him a questioning look as she handed over the parchment. "We use them on the green houses to keep out pests." He took the parchment and looked it over for a moment. "Well, this bit is a forbidding." He pointed. "And this bit covers a bunch of what is forbidden. Don't see anything ... just a lot of war wards really."

Yusuke agreed. "Right. Hogwarts is one of the safest areas of England. If you want to be safe from invasion, plague or discovery by muggles. but as to keeping out 'minor' threats like murder by physical violence, poisoning or hexing ... you're out of luck. so ... whatever is doing the dirty deed ..." he smoked for a moment. "has to be something allowed in or put here by one of the founders."

Hermione worried at her lower lip in thought until Yusuke snapped, "Stop that! You're going to make it bleed." He was going to break her of that unattractive and damaging habit, sooner or later.

She sighed. "I'm just ... there's been too much happening too fast. Too many distractions from my school work. I'm tired. Really."

Yusuke nodded, "We all are. Forget about everything for a couple of days. Only do the bare minimum to keep up for classes. Neville, you too. I'm going to go speak to Ofukuro-sensei about a Hogsmead weekend, everyone needs a break."

And with that he got up and wandered out the door.

Hermione picked up a book and started to read. Neville started to reprimand her but realized that this book was her 'special' book. The one she only read when she felt she'd done especially well in something.

He turned his attention to an Herbology book that he'd special ordered. He'd been wanting to get to it for weeks but felt honor bound to keep up with Hermione and Harry in their studies.

.

Harry tapped on Professor McGonagall's door, waited a moment and then entered.

"Professor." He bowed to the still seated lady.

"Mr ... um Harry. How may I help you?" Professor McGonagall couldn't bring herself to address her student as Miyamoto so she felt that calling him by his English 'first' name was a good compromise. Harry's smile seemed to agree.

"I was thinking." He seated himself at the end of the desk at the professor's gesture. "Everyone is on edge. These unfortunate events have placed a great deal of pressure on all the students and the staff. Perhaps it might be a good idea to have some stress relieving activity? yes?"

Professor McGonagall had been thinking along the same lines herself so she nodded. "I do believe that you are right. This is Wednesday, I'll announce it at breakfast tomorrow. And I'm giving you credit for the suggestion." she conjured her tea set. "Tea?"

"Hai, onegaishimasu." He bowed slightly then reached into his mallet space to bring out some mochi. "Mochi?" At her puzzled look he explained, "Japanese rice candy. Much appreciated by some. Other's dislike it almost as much as natto."

"What is natto?" Professor McGonagall accepted the small cube Harry held out to her, grasping the toothpick he'd speared it with cautiously.

"Fermented soybeans. I've refrained from having them for breakfast here as the smell can be quite ... pungent. Some people can't stand them. I find them quite enjoyable over rice."

"I see. Well, thank you for refraining. I have noticed that you and your young friends don't eat in the Great Hall anymore. Is there a reason beyond your just breaking rules to break them?" The professor wasn't going to get into a confrontation over this, she really didn't care. But her curiosity was that of her animagus form and needed satisfying. "Thank you for this ... mochi? May I have some more?"

Harry handed her the whole tray. "Of course, take it all. I have plenty more. As to eating in the Great Hall. I find the noise most ... off putting. And some of my table mates ... their manners are ... not what I'm used to."

"In other words, the Great Hall is a noisy zoo full of people who have table manners that would make a troll ill." McGonagall announced. "I find myself sorely tried on some days. As long as you eat at least ... four meals a week in the Great Hall, I'll not interfere."

"Arigatōgozaimashita" Harry returned to his tea, grateful that he wasn't going to be at outs with his head of house again. "Very good tea."

"Thank you."

They finished their cups of tea in quiet companionship and Harry made his way back to the common room well satisfied with himself.

He picked up a mrowing Mrs Norris and stroked her absently. She arched her back as best she could and purred loudly. "Ah! Like that, do you? Come, we'll hole up in our bed for a while." He ambled up the stairs to spend the rest of the evening in his bed, reading manga and eating snacks the elves brought him. He sent one to let Hermione and Neville know where he was and another to tell his Ken-o to make arrangements for the weekend. He wasn't spending it here and neither were Neville nor Hermione.

He enjoyed a late evening prowl with Mrs Norris by his side. He caught sight of Snape at a T intersection, but slipped into a side room to avoid him. He was sure that Snape had seen him, but he was also sure the man would take the hint and leave him alone.

As he wandered he thought about what to do. He needed to work on his hit list. His father would be very disappointed if he slacked off. He had his men out and about, finding out anything and everything about the Mokuhyō, it just took time, something he had plenty of.

"Ha? Korehanandesuka? Mizu?" He followed the trail of water to its source, realizing that this mess would stay until morning as Filch was petrified. "Hummm. Kon'nichiwa?" Realizing that he'd been speaking Japanese, he called, "Hello? Anyone here?"

He was rewarded by a loud scream, a splash and an annoyed sounding voice from a stall. "Go! Away! Boys aren't allowed." another splash and a ghost flew through the stall door and soared over his head. "Who are you? I'll tell Mr Filch, then you'll be in trouble."

Harry sighed, this was getting old. "So. I really don't care. I don't want to be here, so ... but Mr Filch is petrified just now. I'm ... Harry Potter. Who are you?" 

"I'm Myrtle. Moaning Myrtle." She let out another scream and darted up to the ceiling. "Eeeeee!"

"I see. And why are you Moaning Myrtle, instead of Merry Myrtle or some other name. And why are you still here instead of moving on?" He shrugged. "Just asking. If you like it here, you wouldn't be moaning; now, would you?"

Myrtle move to hover right in front of his face. "Well, this is nice. Someone actually asking me something. Instead of throwing books at me, or plugging up the plumbing just for meaness sake. You're Harry Potter?" She giggled and hid her face in her sleeve, peeking over it coyly.

"Yes, I am. So ... would you like my help to move on, or do you want to stay?" He readied an ofuda.

Myrtle began to cry, hearty, heaving sobs. It only took her a moment or two of soothing to calm down and tell him, "I'd love to move on. But I can't. I'm not sure why. There's something I'm supposed to do but I don't know what. If I knew, I'd do it. Then I could get out of this horrible place. I mean, really, who wants to haunt a loo of all things."

Harry nodded. "I wouldn't. I'd much rather haunt a girls dorm. In your case a boys. Right?" Myrtle nodded happily. "But ... sososo. mmmm. Tell me how you died? Please? maybe I can figure it out."

"Well. I was in the stall, right there. I was crying because Olive Hornby teased me about my glasses. They're awful, I know, but ... well, they were all Mummy and Daddy could afford. Anyway, I heard a funny sound. Like someone speaking a hissing sort of language. I opened the door to tell them to go away because it was obviously a boy. Then..." she paused dramatically, clutching both hands to her chest. "I died. Just like that."

Harry thought for a moment while Myrtle watched him hopefully. "You just died? No pain?"

"No. Not a bit." Myrtle looked like she was going to start crying again.

"I see. Did you see anything odd. A spell color? Anything?" Harry tugged at his pony tail.

"Well. I did see a pair of great, big yellow eyes. Right there." Myrtle exclaimed, obviously enjoying the attention, she then pointed to a corner. "And I heard a scraping sort of sound, just before I saw the eyes."

Harry thought. "Eyes that killed you, or I miss my guess. That's more helpful than you'll ever know. Let me see." He walked over to the corner and made what Hermione called a Bluebell Light. He set it to hover over his left shoulder, casting light in front of him. "Were they about here?" He stopped to look back at Myrtle, who nodded, still looking hopeful. "Please don't scream."

Myrtle shook her head. "I won't. But .. you're not going to do anything ... nasty, are you?"

"No. In fact, if you recognize what I say, please tell me." With that he turned to the sinks and began to examine them carefully. He finally found the tiny snake engraved on the one faucet that didn't work, according to Myrtle. He turned it on to find out that no water emerged. He turned it off and said, "Open." in parseltongue. Still nothing. "Well, it was worth a try."

"It sounded something like what that other boy said ... but not quite." She looked disappointed enough to start crying again.

"That's ok. I know enough to figure it out now. It's a ... I'm not sure if it's a door, or a tunnel. But I'll get it open eventually."

Harry wasn't the least bit surprised when Myrtle looked off to the side. "Oh, look! It's so pretty! Can I go there?"

"If you like. Be sure, though, there's no coming back." He watched as Myrtle bit at a ghostly silver lip. "Take your time."

Myrtle nodded firmly. "I think I'll like it there. Good-bye." And with that she wafted up to the small glow and disappeared.

Harry watched, waving gently. "Good-bye." He knew that the threat to the people of Hogwarts was coming out of that sink somehow, so he sealed the whole room with ofuda. Now, only he could get in, or out.

He went off to bed, Mrs Norris scampering between the puddles to follow him. She was very happy to hole up with him indefinitely. He had the best tuna.  
.

Harry made sure to be to breakfast in the Great Hall, telling Neville and Hermione that there was going to be a surprise announcement. They followed him down, Hermione skipping every few steps as she alternately demanded that Harry tell her what he knew and speculating about what it might be about.

He decided to just sit down and have tea, until he was tempted by a small bowl bento. He opened it and found the top contained a serving of natto, while the bottom contained a serving of rice; nestled in the rice was a small bowl containing even smaller bottles of soy sauce and mustard. He glanced up at the high table to see Professor McGonagall smiling at him slyly. He regretted that Ron wasn't there to see it. He'd be glad to allow the greedy snatcher a chance at this.

Hermione glanced at the bowl then blinked. "Natto? Oh, I've read about it. Is it good?"

Harry prepared the natto the way he liked it then offered Hermione a taste. "Have a taste. A lot of people don't like it because of the smell or they think it's too slimy. I like it first, then miso and a fish with more rice."

Hermione sniffed the blob on Harry's chopsticks then delicately took it into her mouth. She chewed it a couple of times then her expression changed. It went from curious to disgusted dismay in two chews. Harry laughed and held out his hand, covered with a paper. "Spit it out. It's ok."

Hermione did so then exclaimed, "Oh, how can you eat that stuff! it's foul! The smell was bad enough but the ... ugh!" She shivered and grabbed the pumpkin juice by her plate. She took several gulps then continued, "It's slimy and crunchy and ... and ... what was cruncy?"

"Onions, or scallions in this case, the elves mixed them into the rice. I think I like it." He smiled at her expression then nodded to the head table where McGonagall was tapping on her glass to attracted everyone's attention.

"Attention! Attention! Everyone." The noise in the hall was so bad that no one really heard her.

Harry stood up, stuck his fingers in his mouth and produced a shrill whistle. "Oi! Shut the fuck up! The lady wants to say something." 

"Thank you, Mr Miyamoto or Mr Potter, depending on your frame of reference. And it is due to the young gentleman's suggestion that I am making this announcement. There will be a Hogsmead weekend this weekend. Due to the occurrences of this term, only fifth, sixth and seventh years will be allowed to go ..." She patiently endured the groans of forth year and under. "I do understand. Order sheets for every store except the ice cream parlor will be given out and volunteers will fill them for you. Anyone willing to fill orders please sign up at the door as you leave. Thank you." and with that, she sat back down, a rather disgruntled expression on her face. She felt that disallowing the third and fourth years wasn't fair but Dumbledore had spoken, overriding or changing her decisions without explanation. As usual. 

She sat back down amid cheers from the upper years and scowls and pouts from the others. She knew that Harry was up to something, but she really didn't care anymore. If he wanted to do something, he could deal with the consequences with Dumbledore. She'd help anyway she could.  
.

The rest of the week passed slowly for all the students, including the Yusuke-gumi.

Hermione got her books at last. She put them aside at Harry's request. She felt that he was right. She was too tired to actually do any good with them just now.

Neville contented himself with learning Go from Harry, as well as continuing Hana Fuda. He taught Harry Gobstones, just for the fun of it and chess. Although he had a suspicion that his friend already knew it.

Harry dragged Hermione into the dojo on their next free afternoon and gave her a lesson on punching someone.

He started out by saying, "Ok, I got this out of a movie, but the theory really works. It's called remember to sing. S. I. N. G. It stands for solar plexus, instep, nose, groin. That's the four most vulnerable points on a man. If you get grabbed, you elbow them in the belly..." he placed a hand on his solar plexus. "stomp on their instep, punch them in the nose, knee them in the groin, then run. Hex them as you go if you can. Ok?" 

He lead Hermione through the exercise explaining things as he went. He was especially careful to teach her how to make a proper fist. She'd broken her thumb because she hadn't tucked it in properly.

“And I suppose you knew how to make a fist years ago." Hermione couldn't help being a bit curt, she was listening to the same lecture for the third time.

"I did. I knew how to make a fist by the time I was seven or eight. By the time I was twelve, I was sparring with experts. Now ... I'm very, very good." He shrugged and took Hermione's hand in his again. "And who is the one who broke their thumb? Hummm?"

Hermione tried to sulk, but Yusuke tickled her. Neville, watching on the side lines had to laugh. "Don't tickle her, she'll hex you good."

"No, I don't think so." Yusuke batted a spell away with his hand. "I'm sort of faster than that. but ... enough with you missy. Neville come spar with me. You're getting good enough that you need to work out against a real opponent, not just shadows."

Neville groaned, "Yusuke, you're killing me. I'm never going to be up to your level."

"Ha! I'm not killing you, obviously, as you're still whining. And you will never be up to my level if you don't practice at every opportunity." He gave Neville a pat on the arm and a smile that worried him. "I've worked out everyday, four hours in the morning and three in the afternoon, for years. On top of school work, taking care of my businesses and helping Chichi-ue."

Neville groaned at the mere thought. He walked to the middle of the floor and set his stance. Yusuke insisted that they do at least half of their workout in robes. He said, "I'm sure a opponent that is determined to kill you is going to give you time to shed robes. Yes?" Neville had had to agree that they would not. He always grumbled a bit as Yusuke wore robes that he could dump at a seconds notice.

"Neville, is there some real reason that you wear robes that you obviously hate?" Hermione had always been one to strike at the heart of a matter.

Neville shrugged, "Gran insists. And I haven't had time to get different robes. I need at least one fitting."

"Oh, well, shoot." Hermione sighed then settled on the apron of the dojo to watch.

Neville was getting very good so Yusuke pushed him hard, raining blows onto his guard. He finally managed to break it down. And Neville's nose.

"Chi'. Sorry Neville, let me fix that." Yusuke put his hand over Neville's bleeding nose and muttered something. Neville yelped a bit thickly, but subsided then Yusuke gripped his chin. "Now the black eyes." He healed those then nodded. "Good, good. Now you go on the attack."

Neville clenched his jaw and did as he was told. He always felt bad when he accidentally hurt someone, actually trying to do so was really giving him problems.

His tentative attacks didn't get him anywhere. They only succeeded in annoying Yusuke and, surprisingly, Hermione.

"Neville, will you punch him? Stop faffing about!" Hermione was actually bouncing on the apron.

Yusuke laughed softly. "Why don't you come and show him how?"

Hermione, never one to ignore a challenge, did exactly that. She went at Harry with all she had. It didn't do much good as her opponent quashed any urge to retaliate and only blocked her enthusiastic but inept blows.

"Teiryuu!" Yusuke was still blocking while he laughed.

Hermione stopped her attack, huffing a bit. "Well?"

"Not bad for a rank beginner." Yusuke patted her on the cheek, dodging her swat with ease. "Now. We relax. We're all caught up on our studies. Hana Fuda?"

Both Neville and Hermione agreed to that so they settled down to play three handed. Yusuke invented rules on the spot to settle arguments, never telling them that three handed Hada Fuda didn't exist in Japan.

.

Yoi - Good  
Sore wa nanimasen - it's nothing.  
Wa o wasurete iru - are you forgetting  
Kyōaku-han - thug  
Shinda hito - dead man  
Tsumetai niku - cold meat  
unchi - turd  
No wakai omo - young lord  
Kakusareta kazoku - hidden family  
damare - shut up.  
O sake tō - literally honorable sake party. Yusuke is saying, Let's get drunk.  
Mokuhyō - target (also mark, as used by carnival people)  
Korehanandesuka - what is this  
Mizu - water?  
Teiryuu - stop


	17. Chapter 17

17

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear, and very cold. Winter was setting in with a vengeance. Harry couldn't believe that it was already the middle of October. He wondered idly, as he seated himself in the newly created juku dining area, if they celebrated Halloween or just Samhain. He decided to ask Hermione or Neville. He snickered to himself as he petted a demanding Mrs Norris. Neville deserved a day off from exercising so Harry hadn't awakened him, just left a note on his pillow telling him to go back to sleep.

His idle question was answered almost the second that Hermione and Neville entered the room.

"But Neville, it's so damn hard to find any sort of different costume. I did so want to do something really interesting. Going as Celestina Warbeck is just so ... over done." Hermione pouted.

Neville for his part was tired of the same ol' same ol' too, but he had no idea who to go as.

"Yeah, I know. I've thought and thought but ... nothing. Merlin has been done to death. Even if I was tall enough to pull it off, I don't see myself with a Dumbledore beard. Ugh!" He shuddered at the thought and Hermione joined him.

Yusuke snorted at the thought then said, "How much ... attention do you pay to Halloween?"

"Quite a lot, actually. There's a banquet and a ball. Costume required. Anyone can attend but below third year, it's a mixer and no 'dates' allowed, and they have to be in commons by curfew. Fourth year and above can stay until one then the professors turn up the lights. It's great fun, really. But costumes are so ..." she waved a hand. "I can't really say. It's just the same old thing, year after year. Greek gods, historical figures, that sort of thing. Muggle born are soon discouraged from being anything from the real world. It's really annoying."

Yusuke produced a cigarette and then waved it at the dining table. "Eat. We have a whole day to mess around in. We can talk about costumes later." He blinked at the look Hermione was giving him, one of those 'I don't believe you.' glowers that she did so well. "What?" Her pointed gaze drifted to his cigarette. "Nani? Oh! Chi'. Sorry." He put it out, dropping it on the floor, stepping on it then banishing the crushed, extinguished remains.

"Arigato. I don't mind you smoking ... well, actually, I do. However, I know it's no use to nag you. But I do refuse to allow smoking at the table. That's ... just not on." She settled in a chair. Neville shoved it in for her and sat down himself.

He handed her a parchment. "Letter to Gran. She's been complaining that my grammar sucks. Will you check it for me, please? I need to get better at this sort of thing. Doesn't do to make a bad impression with business associates." 

Hermione just took the parchment and started to read.

Harry gave Neville an accusing look, filled Hermione's plate and set it where she'd eat it.

"Neville, honestly. There's no such thing as swears in this context." She quoted his letter, "Seamus is awful. His swears would make an Auror blush." She shook her head. "No. Swears is one of those odd words. Swears is not a descriptive. It's past tense or .. I've forgotten what you call it but it's only used to describe an on going condition." She sipped at her tea. "He swears like an Auror. Or his swearing would make an Auror blush. See?"

Neville nodded. "Yes, ok. Thanks. I'll fix that. Anything else?"

Hermione smiled. "No. Other than that one, it's ok. I'm glad I finally broke you of saying 'exact same'. Awful." She blinked at the nearly empty plate, a surprised look flickering across her face. "Oh! Where did that come from?"

Harry nibbled on a segment of orange, mumbling around it. "Finish that." He popped the last of the segment into his mouth, squeezed the juice out of it against the roof of his mouth with his tongue, then said, "We should get going. I have quite the list. Neville?"

"Not so much. I think McGonagall took it easy on me for fear I'd forget something."

Hermione absently corrected, "Professor McGonagall, Neville."

This brought about a rather surprising outburst from the normally phlegmatic boy. "Damnit! Stop that! It doesn't matter. She's not here. I'm not being disrespectful and it's a waste of air to say professor, professor, professor. WE all know she's a professor, and Snape too. But it's not important. Damn." He threw his napkin down and stormed toward the door.

Harry moved so quickly to intercept him that he seemed to apparate. "Neville. Easy. Come back." He put a hand on Neville's shoulder, ready to get out of the way if Neville reacted badly.

Neville sighed, let his shoulders slump and turned. Hermione was still sitting, wide eyed and stunned, at the table. Neville bowed slightly then said, "I'm sorry, Hermione, but this blind insistence on respect that is neither earned nor owed is more than annoying. Besides, if we were giving her her proper title, it would be Headmistress. I looked it up. She's female, not male. She's a head of house in her own right. And she actually does all the day to day work of running this place, so she should be called Headmistress or Lady of the House. Or even Lady Gryffindor."

Hermione blinked then pushed aside her first impulse, which was to run to research this, instead she sighed. "I'm sorry too, Neville. I didn't even realize I was irritating you that much. I was just ... well, I wasn't thinking. So ... we should do something different this morning, just to break this unpleasant, and my fault, tension. Ok?"

Harry gave her a brilliant, approving smile and said, "Shall we amuse ourselves by attending breakfast in the Great Hall? I'm expecting dispatches this morning. So is Neville. I was planning to have them delivered here, but the Great Hall would be so much more fun." He patted Neville on the shoulder. "Good man." Then smirked happily. "And before you ask, Hermione, my men can find me anywhere, anytime, so the messenger will be able to find me there."

They entered the Great Hall at the same time Headmistress McGonagall did. Harry made a point of bowing to her. Neville took this as a hint and did the same, bowing to her as an equal. Hermione managed a creditable curtsey. Then they went to their house table to sit down.

Professor McGonagall, for her part, nodded politely then settled in her usual seat. She never took Dumbledore's throne, for lack of a better word, she always sat to the left of it. In other words, the seat of the Lady of the House.

From the students point of view, Dumbledore took the only seat at the left end of the table, the next seat down was reserved for McGonagall, the seat next to her was open as were all the other seats. No one sat to the right of Dumbledore as that would have put their back to the hall.

They were just getting a cup of tea when the doors of the Great Hall banged open and half a dozen men dressed in muggle suits and open dusters came in.

They walked to Harry, taking their time and looking around. They did not, however, show the usual awe over the Great Hall ceiling. Instead, they kept their inspection to doors, windows and other weaknesses.

When they reached Harry, one man detached himself from the group and put a black leather portfolio down beside Harry's plate.

"Your mail, Kumicho. It is free of tampering. Do you require anything?" the man then bowed low and took one step back.

Harry fingered the portfolio for a moment then nodded, "We'll be going down to the village in about an hour. We'll need escort. See to it."

He returned to his tea, ignoring the man who just bowed, said, "Anata ga nozomu yō." and moved aside to allow another man to come forward.

This man set a brown leather portfolio beside Neville's plate and said, "Longbottom-san, your mail. Free from tampering. Yes?" He bowed carefully then waited.

Neville put down his cup and turned a bit. "Arigato gozaimas." He was wise enough not to try to bow from a seated position, so he just nodded his head once.

"Dōitashimashite.” This man also stepped away, smiling. All the gaki were pleased that Neville and Hermione were trying to speak Japanese with them. Although they did laugh at hearing a young girl speak like an adolescent yakuza wanna be.

The muttering and whispering in the hall nearly deafened them, all the wondering and marvelling over private messengers, with guards, made the hall echo. Headmistress McGonagall just raised an eyebrow then went back to her tea and toast. She was well aware of exactly why her two students were doing what they were. She had warned Albus that interfering in business wouldn't endear him to either young man. Albus Dumbledore did what he usually did, twinkled at her, mouthed a few pseudo-grandfatherly platitudes and did exactly the wrong thing.

"Someday I'm going to smack that twinkle right out of his eyes." Her teacup didn't say anything.

It wasn't long before the three left the Great Hall, followed by all six men. They went back to their juku to put their 'folders' away in their desks. They'd both taken to keeping their business papers in a locked drawer of their study desks. Far away from prying eyes and curious fingers. Most of the kids in Gryffindor were exactly that, kids; curious, prying, harmless kids. But they had no idea what they were getting into and were just as likely to 'borrow' a three page, very important report for scrap paper as not. Therefore, both Neville and Harry had taken to keeping everything at the juku. Hermione had done that from the first. Harry's small, personal desk in the trunk in his dorm was still the 'supply closet', it was also still warded to death.

The gaki waited, glancing around the juku as the young men put their business portfolios away.

"Nice digs, boss." The gaki flashed a gold tooth in a rather oily grin.

"Shai."

Yusuke flashed a smile back, and then motioned for everyone to head back down. He spent the trip explaining things to his men in Japanese. Neville didn't bother to even listen, but Hermione struggled to keep up. She spent part of her time patting her shadow on the arm and demanding, "Kare wa nani o itte ita?" The man spoke fairly good English, so he translated as needed.

The other men listened to Yusuke, smiled in all the right places and shouted, "Hai! Hai! Kumich!" and "Hijō ni kyōmibukai, wakai kizoku."

None of them noticed three figures, watching from the shadows.

Draco Malfoy and his two thugs watched the men that Yusuke commanded with such ease. It was amazing the difference. Crabbe and Goyle slouched, the yakuza, even the lowest gaki, stood up straight and looked people in the eye. Crabbe and Goyle communicated in grunts and cracking knuckles. The yakuza spoke eloquently, if crudely. Draco was a snivelling little snot. Yusuke snapped orders and expected to be obeyed. The words, "When my father finds out." never seemed to occur in his conversation.

As they were entering the foyer everyone heard something they didn't want to. 

Guilderoy Lockhart called, "Harry, my dear boy. I was just looking for you. I thought, since you really don't want to be filling orders for a bunch of tots, that we could go down together. What do you say?"

Yusuke glanced at him then mushed him right in the face. Lockhart staggered back, more surprised than anything else and sat down heavily. Since there was no chair anywhere nearby, he landed on his butt on the hard floor with a loud, 'Oof!' Yusuke looked down at him for a moment then announced, "Nai kikai, anata imaimashī baka." He stepped over the professor's legs, saying, "Sā, ikimashou!"

His men all scurried after, also stepping over Lockhart. Hermione's translator hissed, "Come, let's go. Bossu is not happy. That fool is going to get his head, or a finger, handed to him on a plate." At Hermione's startled look, he added, "Kumicho is not above collecting yubitsumi for himself." Hermione translated the word back and forth a couple of times and didn't come up with anything good. Sin finger was the best she could manage, then it hit her. "Oh! Oh, ugh."

"Exactly." The gaki gave her a quick, hard grimace that was supposed to be a smile. It didn't reach his eyes. "I really wish Bossu would do something about that baka. He's irritating."

Hermione accepted his arm absently. As they were now on the path down to Hogsmead, she was going to need it. The path was well worn but near the school, it was quite steep and narrow. The stones were slick from the passage of centuries of feet. She continued to pelt him with questions until he resorted to the 'no speakie Englishu' ploy. Hermione gave him an irritated look, huffed and subsided. His disingenuous smile left her with no intelligent comment, so she just growled at him. This also amused him.

"Oi! Kisama, stop teasing her." but Yusuke seemed more amused than annoyed.

"Ok, warui, Kumicho." He bowed low, looking worried.

Yusuke just swatted him on the back of his bowed head. "Never mind. Come on."

They soon reached the village, that was when Neville and Hermione found out why Yusuke hadn't minded taking a long list. He just handed it off to a man he called Ken-ichi-wakagashira, saying, "Here. See to it. Have it all delivered via owl asap."

The man just bowed, took the order forms and held out a hand to Hermione. She twittered around until Neville just took her pile of forms, added his to it and passed them all to Ken-ichi-wakagashira. "Arigato, Ken-ichi-san." Neville knew his accent was atrocious but at least he was trying.

Ken-ichi was well aware that the young man was also a No wakai omo so he smiled, bowed and hurried off to break the orders down by store, send men off to purchase all the things then make up the lists. He knew he was going to be very busy for an hour or so. The only reason he was worried was because he was afraid that his Kumicho might need him before he was done.

This turned out not to be a problem. Harry dragged Neville into a store that sold clothing and addressed the clerk. "I need his measurements. These..." he pulled a spiral top pocket notebook out of his open front robes and jotted something in it. He tore the page out and handed it to the clerk.

The clerk took the paper, gave it one rather puzzled look then started measuring. It didn't take him long to get the measurements required. Yusuke tossed him a galleon, took back the paper and hauled Neville back out the door. 

Neville didn't bother to ask, when his friend was ready, he'd find out what was going on. He wasn't like Hermione, his drive to know wasn't as strong and his trust was stronger.

Hermione, for her part, was pelting a helpless gaki with questions. This poor guy didn't speak English, all he knew was he'd been told to stay with the babbling onna and carry her packages. Hermione finally gave up and went to do her shopping. She had books to buy, as the books in the two shipments she'd finally gotten hadn't been that helpful. She also had to buy more parchment, ink and quills. She had several essays due and she wanted to make sure she had enough of the good parchment to finish them.

Neville smiled to see her drag the younger gaki into the branch of Florish and Blotts on the square, babbling away. He knew he was going to have his own bodyguard and didn't mind a bit. He was going to practice his Japanese on the man, but not babble at him like Hermione. He needed to practice his conversation.

Harry nodded as he was neatly separated from his companions by his men. He had a few things to take care of himself.

.

Ken-Ichi-wakagashira knew that his Kumicho wanted information, so information was gathered. He wondered how long this was going to take but put that aside for more current concerns. The young master wanted to find a man. So, they found the man. It was easy.

Lucius Malfoy didn't know he was a target, and he wasn't, yet. But following him led them to all sorts of people. Right now, the Kumicho wanted Fenrir Greyback. Lucius Malfoy didn't seem like the sort of person to even know of such a creature, but he did. The elder Crabbe and Goyle weren't his only enforcers.

The Wakagashira went through his list of names for someone to go with the No Wakai Omo. He decided on one of the new English Gaki, Remus Lupin. He was a were, like Greyback, it might help, it might hurt. He didn't know but he felt it was worth the risk.

Remus Lupin had quickly become used to being called Lupin-gaijin, he didn't mind. Most of the other English hires were just called 'Ya-deki' which he learned meant, ‘Hey! You’. He had finally realized that he was respected for his power and strength as a were, something he wasn't used to at all. None of the Yakuza seemed to be afraid of him, just a bit cautious. He looked up when someone called out, "Lupin-gaijin, you're wanted."

"Coming." He put his cup down and bent to pick up his jacket. He'd been sent to a tailor and outfitted with two suits, a duster and several shirts and ties. He'd been told that the Kazuko had a reputation to uphold. He didn't care, he was tired of wearing worn clothing and living in hovels. One of the other men straightened his tie and smoothed his jacket then said, "Iku! Iku!" he went.

"Yes, Mr. Ken-ichi. What can I do for you?" Lupin bowed properly and waited for instructions.

"The young Kumicho wants to get rid of ... an irritation. You're to back him up."

"Ok, boss, who is it? And how far can we go?" Lupin was well aware that he had it in him to go fairly far, but he couldn't kill in cold blood. It just wasn't in him.

"This one is bad." Lupin blinked, when a yakuza wakagashira said someone was bad? "Yes, very bad. A werewolf who takes pleasure in turning children. Most ..." Ken-ichi-san paused at the look of fury that crossed the normally even-tempered man's face. "Ah?"

"Greyback, you're going after Greyback. He turned me. Tell the Oojisama that I'll back him to the hilt. Whatever he wants." Lupin took a deep calming breath.

"Maa-maa. Yes, Greyback is the Mokuhyō. The Shikkō-sha is thinning the ranks of No shi o tabete oroka, Death Eaters." Ken-ichi settled back on his heels. "The Oyabun is not pleased with the possibility that these idiots might interfere with our British concerns so he wants all this mess cleared up. The Ministry has already interfered with us due to their activities. So the No shi o tabete oroka must be eliminated. Yes? Questions?"

Lupin was a very smart man so he took a moment to think this over. "No, I don't think so. If I have a question, how is the Oojisama about answering?" This could make or break his mission.

"Ah, the Kumicho is good about that. You just have to pick your time. It wouldn't do to queer his pitch. Just be discrete. Yes?"

Lupin nodded. "I understand. I can't wait to meet the young master."

"Ah, sou ka. And I am here. You are the English called Lupin-gaijin?" Harry glanced at the man, then turned to say something to his Wakagashira.

He wasn't to finish.

"Harry? Harry Potter?" Remus Lupin froze. This wasn't how he'd envisioned his best friend's son.

Harry turned to take another look at the unassuming looking man. "Yes. That is my birth name. I prefer Miyamoto Yusuke. I don't ... recall you."

Remus sighed then shrugged. "I was a friend of your parents. We all went to school together. After they died, I lost their sponsorship and ... fell off the radar a bit. Dumbledore wanted me to do some jobs for him but ... I can't afford charity work. Pro bono just isn't on." He took a deep breath. "I think this should all wait until we finish whatever it is you need to do today. Perhaps we could have supper together?" he wanted to grab the boy and hug him, drag him away and stash him somewhere safe. Instead, he took a position of at ease that he'd been taught and waited for instructions. He'd deal when he was calm.

Harry fell back into Kumicho persona easily. "Yes. Come. I'll fill you in as we walk."

And that was exactly what he did. When he finished by saying, "And I want him rather messily dead. But I'll do that myself. All I really need from you is help finding him. I think you are familiar with the area?"

"Yes, um ... Kumicho. I am. I was a bit taken aback when my old ... haunt was sold to you. But that's all good. The Wakagashira made up my old room for me again. So ... Greyback. He's very big." Remus paused to think.

"My sword is bigger. Go on." Harry was wondering at this man's ability to compartmentalize. He had made one aborted move to touch then stepped back.

“He's fast, strong and filled with hate. He'll use that." Remus waited for his young boss to think that over.

"It can also be used against him. Make him angry enough and he'll make a mistake. Something fatal." Harry smirked at his new dansei. "We just have to make sure that he loses his temper and then take advantage."

Ken-ichi-wakagashira excused himself humbly. "I'm sorry, Kumicho. I must ask. Why not just whack the jerk."

"Appearances. If I just shoot him, none of the pureblood idiots will understand the point. Guns don't make the sort of impression here that they do in Japan." Yusuke produced a cigarette and inhaled.

"I see. Yes. sorry, Kumicho. Please excuse my ignorance." Ken-ichi bowed carefully.

"Sore wa nanimasen. That Kyōaku-han is tsumetai niku. I'll make an example of him, maybe a roach or two will crawl out of the woodwork. Lupin-gaijin, come now." A jerk of his head accompanied this as Yusuke headed for the door. "I need you to figure out where that unchi is holed up. Any ideas?"

"A few. Um ... what should I call you? Just so I don't call you the wrong thing at the wrong time." Remus wasn't about to mess up this job. He'd found the last link to his old, comfortable life and he wanted to make sure he didn't cut it with a simple mistake.

"I like Miyamoto Yusuke; but, if you like, you could call me Harry. In public you call me whatever the Wakagashira told you to. In private, we'll deal later. Ok?" Harry found himself liking this calm, humble man. He wondered if he was up to the job but knew that, if he wasn't, Ken-ichi wouldn't have offered him.

"Ok. As to where Greyback might be ... Malfoy uses him as the big muscle ..." Remus glanced at Harry to see if he understood, receiving a nod, he went on. “Malfoy meets Greyback at the Hogshead. So, he has to be fairly close. It's just after the full moon so he'll be sore and wanting to lair up for a couple of days."

"Are you ok to do this?" Harry didn't want his companion to try to work if he wasn't able. This was one of the things that truly endeared him to his men, he didn't demand them to work if they were sick. "You transformed too."

"I'm fine. The others take good care of me. I had potions and a comfortable place to transform, and more potions the morning after. Thank you for asking." Remus was well aware that the yakuza took a completely different tack to the main run of British wizards. They cared. It was actually very nice.

"Good, good. Now, where is that baka." Harry, now that he was sure Remus was up to the job, turned his attention back to finding Greyback. He had to get the job done quickly, before Hermione noticed he was gone. This meant that he had about four to six hours, she was in a bookstore after all.

Remus Lupin made what he called 'thinking noises' as he went over ideas quickly. "Ok, I'm sure Greyback has a lair up in the foot hills the other side of Hogwarts. Close enough to town to get supplies, far enough away that the villagers won't bother him. There's a lot of caves up there." He thought for a moment more. "It's not an easy walk, especially in those shoes you're wearing. My boots are more appropriate." He had barely stopped talking when a dansei showed up with a different pair of boots for Yusuke. Remus already knew the difference in attitude. His young boss even smelled different.

Remus was unsurprised to be folded to a clearing near the top of a tor above the Black Lake. He liked folding much more than any other form of wizarding travel, it was the only one that didn't offend his wolf in some way. "Well, that was nice. So ... let me see if I can't sniff the bugger out." He turned to face his best friend's son. "Are you sure you can handle him? I know..." He held up a hand. "But humour me."

Yusuke looked at his dansei for a moment. "Yes, I'm sure. But thank you for your concern. Now ... find him."

Remus put everything aside for now. He concentrated on the now and the need to find their target. He knew where the path around the lake came out so he started there. "Yes. He's been through here in the last three or four hours. Supply run, I suppose."

"Excellent." Yusuke stepped shoulder to shoulder with the slightly taller man. "I'm right behind you."

"That's good. I'll warn you, I run fairly fast." Remus didn't know how much his young Bossu knew about weres so he wasn't about to offend him by running off on him.

Yusuke smirked, "I think I can keep up. Move it."

And move it Remus did. He could catch the increasingly stronger smell of Greyback. The were didn't seem to like soap much, so his body odor was strong. That is to say, he stank like a wet dog. So Remus followed the smell for over a mile, until he came to a cave mouth.

"He's in there."

"You sure?" Yusuke didn't want to warn their target by an abortive strike.

"Yes. The smell is ... bad. Do you want him out in the open? Or penned in?" Either way was fine with Lupin, he just needed to know what Harry wanted.

"Out in the open. Where he's easy to find." Yusuke struggled to explain. He realized that he'd forgotten more English than he'd thought.

"Before the scavengers erase your marks."

"Exactly. How are you going to get him out here?" Yusuke was prepared for almost anything.

He wasn't prepared for what happened, although it shouldn't have been a surprise. Remus picked up a fist sized rock and hurled it into the cave, then shouted, "Greyback, you bastard, come out. I want a word with you."

The snarl that came from the cave sounded like heavy canvas ripping. Greyback stepped out, still snarling and charged Remus. Remus dodged, he wasn't an eight year old child anymore.

Most people only saw what Remus wanted them to see. His punch caught the other were in the solar plexus and floored him. It didn't take more than a micro-second for Greyback to get back on his feet, but that was long enough for Yusuke to shed his over-robes and pull his ninjato from mallet space. Then it was simply a case of double teaming him.

Remus would jump on Greyback, clawing and punching. Greyback would retaliate by charging him. Yusuke would step in and try to get a head cut; but, Greyback was very fast and managed to sustain only cuts to the chest and sides. Neither, Lupin nor Yusuke was too worried about it. They had known they would have to wear him down from the first.

It didn't take long, only about five minutes, but that time seemed to crawl by on leaden feet. Five minutes wasn't that long, if you were running track, or working out, but when you were literally fighting for your life, it was a long damn time. Finally, Remus took a huge chance and left himself open for that split second too long. Greyback punched him in the side and Yusuke heard ribs snap. But Greyback didn't have the self-control of a three year old, he had to gloat. He loomed over Remus, who was crouched on the ground nursing his ribs. "Ha! Baby wolf, I think the old wolf is too strong for you." Remus just smirked up at him. 

A second later, Greyback wasn't thinking anything anymore, his head actually bounced, spraying blood over several feet of torn up sward. After cutting a kanji into the chest, Yusuke swung his sword downward with a quick snap of his wrist, shaking off the blood. He cut a bit from Greyback's open shirt and finished wiping off the blood. Then he fished a small case out of his thigh pocket and began a thorough clean of his sword. He kept one eye on Remus, waiting for him to decide how bad he felt. He finally finished his work and tossed the scrap of oiled rice paper away.

"How bad is it?" Yusuke was not going to allow one of his men to hurt for his mission.

"Pretty bad. I need to hole up for a few days until these ribs heal." Remus struggled to his feet. "I'll be fine."

"Yes, you will. I'm sending you to Japan. You're more ill than you let on. Come." He took Remus by the arm with one hand while he stuck his sword into mallet space with the other. "I'll take you to Ken No Ie and you'll go to Japan from there. When you're well, you'll come back." Remus started to say something but Yusuke folded them back to the house before he could. Remus didn't notice the huge flash of light Yusuke set off as he folded.

The second they were in the house Yusuke started issuing orders. "You. Get him tended. Then I want someone to take him to Nihon. He needs a real healer to take a good look at him."

Men scrambled. Remus started to say that he'd be fine but shut up when he got a look that reminded him of Lily on a rampage. "You look just like your mother when you do that."

"I do? I wouldn't know. I don't even know what my biological parents looked like." Yusuke frowned slightly, it had always bothered him that he had no pictures of his family. “I want you in Nihon this summer. I want stories. Yes?" Harry couldn't help the rather pleading look he gave Remus.

"Ok. Yusuke, if that's what you want, that's what you'll get." He managed a self-effacing, diffident smile. "After all, you hired me to obey orders."

"I did? I wouldn't know. Probably would, if I bothered with that shit. Ken-ichi-san hires.”

"Well, shit. Ok. I have some pictures somewhere in storage. I'll look them up for you." Remus started making plans to find pictures for his young boss.

"Later. I won't pine away for the lack. I want you healthy more than I want pictures. You knew them, you can tell me stories about them. This summer. Now, I'm in the middle, obey me."

Remus found it a bit odd that he was taking orders from his best friends seventeen year old son, but gave up arguing. He liked his job. He liked it even more now that he knew who Miyamoto Yusuke really was. "Hai, Kumicho. Um ... my Japanese fails me. Whatever you say."

Harry smiled, then said, "He's looking pale, fix him up and get him out of here. Father will be very pleased to see we have a were on the team." Remus let himself be led away, but he did overhear Harry grumble, "English are so wasteful. A were is a great asset. Baka gaijin."

.

The odd flash of light attracted the attention of a Constable at Hogsmead. The mayor sent one man to see what was going on.

The mess he found sent him running, or apparating, back for help. Why he needed help, he wasn't really sure, but he wasn't staying here alone a second more.

When he returned, he brought the whole contingent of constables with him, as well as the single Auror stationed at Hogsmead. Their expressions were everything he could have wished.

What they saw was so obviously a battlefield that it took them a moment to realize who the corpse was. When they did, they all gasped. Whoever it was, had literally decapitated him, cutting through his thick, heavily muscled neck in one clean cut. The rest of the cuts on his torso and back told their own tale of a hard fought battle. No one thought to check to see if there were more than two sets of footprints. Not that Remus would have cared if he'd known.

So they gathered up the body, head and his bits of things from the cave and returned to Hogsmead with them. The auror wrote a report which he sent to the Ministry including a picture of the kanji. It was shunted to the proper authority by a bored secretary who only cast a spell over the parchment that showed her who it was from and who it was about. All she got for her pains was a code number. A flick of her wand sent it on its way.

The auror who was Harry's nominal 'handler' just grumbled at what he read, counted galleons into a bag and sent it to Ken No Ie via owl.

The wondering and marveling in Hogsmead continued for more than a week.

.

Harry Potter walked down the narrow main street of Hogsmead, looking for his two friends. He was dressed neatly in an open day robe over BDU pants and a tight t-shirt with a kanji on it. The elegant grass script proclaimed, "Hentai, and proud of it."

When he finally really noticed the sky line of Hogsmead, his first impulse was to ignore it. But he was still wound up from the fight and full of nervous energy. Spotting a couple of dansei that he knew free ran, he shed his robe, shoved it into the hands of the gaki trailing him and yelled, "Oi! O jikkō!" The two men, dressed in running suits, just laughed and joined him. The yakuza didn't care what the villagers thought of them so they dressed in muggle suits, running suits (sweats) or robes at their whim.

Before anyone knew what was going on the whole group seemed to go wild. Harry cackled with glee as he wall walked up the sides of two buildings, bouncing from one wall to the other, to the roof. He scrambled across the peak of the tiled roof, followed by his two men. They jumped from one roof to another and scrambled up the steep slant to swing around the chimney and back down the same side.

Harry dropped to the street right in front of Hermione, swung her in dizzying circles until she had to grab his shoulders to keep from falling down. "Yusuke! You git! Stop that!" But she was laughing. He ran away from her swatting hands, jumped onto a huge pile of barrels and bounced from there onto the top of a lean-to on the side of a shop. They continued over the rooftops around the square. 

Hermione ran after them just so she could watch them. Neville shrugged and followed.

They were followed by indignant shouts, exclamations of surprise and a few sloppily cast, mild curses and hexes. These were answered by stinging hexes from Neville and the two bodyguards who ran after the free running group.

As free running was a strenuous activity, all three runners were tired out after about thirty minutes and ready to sit down for a cold drink.

They trotted back to Ken No Ie to cool down. The whole group clattered into the newly constructed vestibule, shedding shoes, coats and cloaks. Harry ordered hot, green tea to be served at once to prevent the hot runners from chilling and help the chilled observers warm up.

Neville was impressed with the way all the men scurried around to obey his friend. All the men were at least five or six years older than he was but they deferred to him as if he was their senior.

Hermione couldn't help but notice that all the men had a slight tinge of fear in their eyes.

Yusuke noticed also. He had gotten a bit of time with the men he'd picked up early, but the new men only really knew his reputation. He was keeping his English base small as he didn't really need more than about ten or fifteen men total. His gumi in Japan was much larger, of course, but he had a lot more business concerns there.

So, after a cup of tea, he jumped up and shouted, "O saki tō!" It was a bit early; but as Masa had said, 'It has to be four o'clock somewhere.' Everyone scurried around, getting huge bottles of the drink and starting a rice cooker going. The young boss had rules, one of them was, 'No one drinks without eating. It's uncivilized.' No one argued much. Why would they? Eating was always a good thing.

It didn't take long for the gaki to get everything ready. The saki was opened, the sashimi cut, the ingredients for sushi ready. Miso soup was passed around in small bowls and the drinking began.

Hermione objected, of course, and was told that she could drink tea, if she liked. She did.

Neville, on the other hand, had been introduced to social drinking when he was nine. Most heirs of noble houses were. He didn't have a hard head, but he did know how to drink without getting smashed. He thought.

Yusuke made sure that Hermione had a pot of fresh tea at her elbow. Then he poured a cup for every man in the room. The pouring was accomplished by Yusuke kneeling behind a small table set in front of him by a waka another knelt beside him with a huge bottle of saki. The man beside Yusuke filled a smaller bottle, one that held about a pint or so, warmed the liquor with a quick spell then bowed. Yusuke filled a cup then handed it to the man kneeling in front of him. The man would bow back, take the cup and drink it. He'd then get up and move away to sit down somewhere in the room. This continued until each man had been given a cup.

"Neville." Yusuke turned to Neville. "Drink a cup with me." It wasn't a request and Neville knew it. He also knew that refusing would insult everyone in the room.

"Of course." Neville held out his hands just as the gaki had and took the cup with one hand underneath it and thumb and finger of the other gently grasping the rim. He sipped, managed to keep from choking and said, in a strangled tone, "Very good." Yusuke just laughed and poured again.

And then the party got underway. Hermione shrank back into the small alcove where Yusuke had placed her. This was going to get wild. She jumped when an older man settled in front of her.

"Shhh! Don't worry. No one will bother you. I'm here." Then the man just leaned back against the wall, blocking the way in but not her vision. She could see the whole room easily.

What she saw, however, was something.

While she'd been getting settled, the waka and gaki had been busy. Yusuke and Neville were now both clad in yukata. The waka had just handed them out and men had slipped into the dining room to change. Neville had goggled a bit at all the tattoos.

When they returned, they settled in for what the dansei called ‘serious’ drinking.

There were several small tables scattered about the room, one for every two or three drinkers. On that table was a bottle for the saki and a cup for each man. The cups were actually square, made of lacquered beach and set on a small square mat and tray to catch the inevitable spill over.

Hermione watched as three gaki were picked out as servers. Their job was to make snacks, keep the small bottles filled with warm saki and emptying the overflow trays. They were also responsible for keeping her tea pot and snack plate full. She was grateful for this as the whole group were soon well on their way to being drunk off their asses.

Yusuke pulled a deck of cards from somewhere and challenged several men to a game of Hana Fuda. A larger table was moved in and the small tables shifted around to make room. The small tables stayed near the players elbows. This kept ‘accidents’ from interfering with the games.

Neville found that several of the younger men, called gaki, wanted to gamble with him. He pulled a bag from one pocket and dumped it on the table. “Is this enough?”

All the gaki eyed the pile of galleons for a moment then one of them said, “We not allowed to play for that much. Only silver. yes?”

Neville nodded, scooped most of the gold back into the bag and said, “Change that to silver and we’re all set. Ok?” the men all nodded, still eyeing the money. It was still really more than they were allowed to gamble with. Yusuke had rules for his gaki, inexperienced as they were, to keep them from impoverishing themselves by betting too much in one game. This pile of coin was more than twice what they were allowed in one game.

Neville noticed that they were still looking uncomfortable so he called over to Yusuke, “There’s a problem here, but my Japanese and their English isn’t up to it. Help.”

Yusuke just glanced over, seeing the problem at once. He replied, “You’ve still got too much on the table. There’s rules for the gaki, to keep them out of trouble. You can’t have that much money on the table.”

Neville just reached out a picked up one coin. “Ok?” the gaki shook their heads. Neville kept picking up coins, one at a time, until his table mates nodded. “Ok. Now, Hada Fuda.”

They played cards, Go, mahjong and other games that Hermione didn’t recognize. They also drank constantly. The cups were fairly small but the gaki didn’t let them stay empty. In fact, they never got empty. The second a cup was less than half full, a gaki filled it up again, or someone else at the table filled it.

Hermione worried as the group got more and more drunk. She was worried that something bad was going to happen.

In order to distract from this, she reached for one of the pipes her guardian was smoking. These pipes had appeared all over the room. The gaki handed them out then one circulated around the room with a small tray of them. He took the empty one tapped the ash out into a ceramic dish with sharp tings of metal hitting ceramic. He then set it aside and handed his senpai a new pipe carefully preloaded with finely shredded tobacco. After lighting the pipe with a hot coal, he moved on.

Hermione was startled and a bit offended when the waka patted her hand away from the pipe. At her look, he explained, “No touch. Hot.” He picked up the pipe and tapped it against the small saucer it was resting on. “Metal. See?”

Hermione realized that she’d been about to pick it up like a Western pipe, by the bowl. “Oh! Yes, arigato.”

Their attention was dragged away from their conversation by a shout of, “Cheat!” Then someone else yelled, “Knife! Knife!” Then Hermione didn’t see much more as her guardian blocked the niche with his body.

.

Yusuke was counting his cards when the man to his right suddenly threw his cards down, surged to his feet and yelled, “Uwaki-sha!”. He pulled a knife out of somewhere and took a slash at Yusuke.

This was not a good idea. The shouts of “Katana! Katana!” cleared the whole room as everyone jumped up and hurried out of the way. This left the center of the room clear and the occupants ranged around the edge, watching.

Yusuke jumped back, avoiding being gutted by an inch. The knife did cut his yukata, however. Yusuke just shed it, wrapping it around his arm as a shield. He danced back from the man, obviously trying to give him time to come to his senses. It didn’t work.

All his back peddling did was give the man the idea that he was afraid. Yusuke led the man a merry dance all over the room. He ducked, dodged, feinted and blocked with his yukata wrapped arm until he had the man exactly where he wanted him. Then he reached out and slapped the knife aside, punched the man in the solar plexus and tripped him. He landed on his chin and skidded several feet, getting a nasty carpet burn in the process. Yusuke dropped onto the middle of his back, kneeing him in a kidney in the process. This made the man groan.

Yusuke snarled, “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you screwed up. I don’t cheat! Ever! And pulling a tanto on me was a big mistake.” He slammed the man’s face into the floor, punched him in the back and stood up. “Get up!”

Yusuke tossed the destroyed yukata on the floor and made a motion to one of the bystanders. “Chair.” Ito Ken-ichi was there so he was the one to fetch the chair. He placed it carefully in the middle of the only wall with no windows, right between two doors. One door led to the kitchen, the other into the front hall. This was the most defensible position in the room beside Hermione’s little niche.

Men scurried around, casting furious, fearful looks from the foolish wakashu to Yusuke. One man leaned against the wall, thighs quivering, hands shaking, crotch suspiciously dark. He’d been sitting on the other side of Yusuke when the shit hit the fan. He was actually rather surprised to realize that he was still alive.

Yusuke settled in the chair, wearing nothing but a fundoshi and a furious scowl. “Who is that jackass?”

Ken-ichi sighed, “His name is ...”

Yusuke made an irritable gesture with one hand. “I don’t give a fuck what his name is. What the hell is his problem?”

Ken-ichi glanced around then caught sight of the man he wanted. “You! You sponsored him, so talk.”

A short, even by Japanese standards, stocky man hurried forward and actually kowtowed. “I’m so sorry. I swear, I didn’t know he would be such an idiot. He’s a cousin from my mother’s side. He got stuck here in England and just wanted to earn enough money to get back home. I’m sorry.” the man raised his head and Yusuke recognized him as one of the men Hermione liked. “I offer yubitsumi.”

Yusuke nodded, but said, “I don’t want your finger.” He glowered at the still faintly struggling attacker. “I want his.” He turned his eyes back to the sponsor. “Your name is Sato, right?” the man just nodded. “Ok, Sato-san, this is the way it will be. You sponsored the idiot so it’s your responsibility to ... either obtain, or help with, his offering. Yes?” He absently took a pipe from a slightly trembling wakashu, scowled at it then handed it back. “I don’t like that tobacco.”

The wakashu quickly used a small metal skewer to pluck out the ball of tobacco. He then showed Yusuke several different packages on a tray. “That one.” This turned out to be a very expensive, hand cut tobacco from a small company in Hokkaido. The wakashu gathered a large pinch, expertly rolled it into a ball and stuffed it into the pipe. He handed it to his Kumicho then lit the pipe as Yusuke puffed. “Good.” The man retreated to the wall with a soft sigh of relief. When the young Kumicho was in this sort of mood, he was extremely volatile, although, no one could blame him; after all, no one likes getting attacked when they were supposed to be having a party.

Hermione had wisely hidden her face immediately after the fight and had no intention of watching anything else that occurred in the room.

Neville had also jumped up at the start of the fight. The men sitting with him found that they had to restrain him from jumping in to help. One of them hissed in his ear, “Young Kumicho not need help. Not want.” Neville had stopped struggling when he realized that the help he was offering was going to be more of a hindrance. Yusuke noticed, of course.

“Sit, Neville, I’m fine. Take more than that...” He descended into curses in Japanese that made Neville flush. “Oh, for ... Stop that.” Neville gave Yusuke a sheepish grin and settled back in his seat. “Better.”

Everyone returned to their seats except for Kanagawa, the man who’d attacked Yusuke, and Sato-san. They knelt before Yusuke, seated in the chair, still nearly naked and smoking his pipe in irritated puffs. He finished his bowl and motioned for a gaki to take it. Actually, he more or less threw it at the man, who deftly caught it, snuffed the coal and put the pipe on the tray beside him.

Yusuke stood up. He looked around then snarled, “Kikoe! Watashi yorokobanakerete!” Hermione gave up on trying to translate the harsh glottal stops, trilled r’s, and hissed sibilants.

After eyeballing the whole room, Yusuke slapped his chest. “I am Kumicho. I am Miyamoto Yusuke, son of Miyamoto Musashi. Anyone who thinks they can take over by right of combat ... bring it on! Now!” He glared around.

Most of the men stepped back a step, the rest stood their ground as best they could. Mostly because there was no one to get behind.

Another glower and Yusuke barked, “I will return to school now. My day is ... no good. Enough!” He slashed one hand through the air. “I expect you ...” He looked down at one of the men. “Sato-san, to help Kanagawa do what he needs to do. Or he may leave the Miyamoto-kazoku. His decision. If he decides to make yubitsumi, you may help him. If not ... inform me and I will take care of things.”

Sato-san bowed clear to the floor from his kneeling position. “Hai, Kumicho. Anata ga nozomu yō.” He kept his head down.

Kanagawa, for his part, kept his head down too. The Wakagashira’s heavy foot on his neck saw to that. He muttered, sourly, “How the hell was I supposed to know that that snot nosed brat was the boss?” a kick in the ribs shut him up.

Sato-san just sighed, this was not going to go well, he just knew it.

Yusuke just barked, “Clothing.” Men scurried to bring his things, help him dress and brush off bits of nonexistent lint. At a jerk of Yusuke’s head, two men brought Neville his clothing and helped him dress. No one but Hermione noticed that most of the men were still wearing yukata off at one shoulder with the sleeve wrapped around their body and tucked into their obi.

Neville didn’t bother to argue with Yusuke, he was in a bad enough temper as it was. Instead, he allowed himself to be helped into his clothing without protest. He did his best not to cause the gaki more problems.

It didn’t take them long to get ready to return to Hogwarts. Hermione kept quiet, even though her mind was racing. She had listened to the wakashu’s explanations of power, politics among the yakuza and face. She wasn’t happy with any of it, but she was sure that everything would work out. After all, the wakashu had said that Yusuke-kumicho was a good leader.

Yusuke led them into the cellar, through the tunnel and out under the Whomping Willow. It only took a moment to freeze the tree, walk out from underneath it and make sure that the gaki that had come with them had the tree back to its usual temperamental self.

Hermione sighed. It was nearly dinnertime. “We better hurry. It’s almost dinner. If we’re late, people will ask questions that we don’t want to answer. Come on.” she hurried.

Yusuke and Neville didn’t.

“You think that guy ... um ...Kana whatsit ... will ...” Neville trailed off, not really sure what yubitsumi was.

Yusuke didn’t bother to pretend he didn’t know what Neville was asking. “No idea. But he’d better, or he’s a dead man. No one leaves a family, except to go to another. No one leaves the Miyamoto-kazuko ... ever.”

“Fraid of that. But, that Sato guy seemed to think he could do the job.” Neville hoped he did. Yusuke was in a really bad mood and someone disobeying him was sure to make it worse. “Sorry he ruined the party. I think I was winning.” He staggered slightly. “And ... I think I’m still a little drunk.”

Yusuke rubbed his eyes, looking tired. “Me, too. And I’m sorry. If you were winning, someone will send your money to you. If you were losing, you’ll get a kimi no kari.”

“A what?” Neville was getting a great deal more cautious.

“I believe you call it an I owe you. If you get one, I hope you’ll pay it as soon as you can. Usually within two weeks is polite.”

“Ok. I’ll probably be able to pay by return owl. If not, I’ll let you know.”

“Good.” Yusuke produced a cigarette and started smoking.

Dinner was eaten in silence and everyone went up to bed in foul moods.

.

 

Anata ga nozomu yō - as you wish  
shai - thanks. (rather rude)  
Kare wa nani o itte ita? - What did he say?  
Hijō ni kyōmibukai, wakai kizoku - very interesting, young lord.  
Nai kikai, anata imaimashī baka - not a chance you damn idiot.  
Sā, ikimashou - come on, let's go  
Sore wa nanimasen - it's nothing  
O saki tō - literally honorable saki party. Yusuke is saying, Let's get drunk.  
senpai/kohai - senior/junior - description of relationship that really has no English equivalents.  
Kikoe - Hear me! (Very rude)  
Watashi yorokobanakerete - I am not pleased  
Kimi no kari - IOU


	18. Chapter 18

When they reached the common room, Harry passed a potion to both his friends. “Enough worry. Take that, it’ll help you sleep. No sense losing sleep over that baka.”

Both Hermione and Neville took the potion without hesitation. If Harry wanted them to take it, they would.

Neville slept well. He wasn’t worried about Harry’s temper, all it took was being wise enough not to cross it. And he was more than wise enough for that.

Hermione didn’t sleep as well. She couldn’t forget her curiosity about Harry’s tattoos. She wasn’t aware of any other problem, everything else was taken care of. She thought.

Harry, for his part, stayed up until nearly 4 am. He wasn’t sleepy, so he used his personal study area in his trunk to catch up on some family business, read a couple of reports on the movements of several of his targets and get some homework done. When he did go to bed, he slept the sleep of the just.

.

Breakfast was amusing, especially after the heavy workout Harry insisted on. He was a bit pissed that Kanagawa had nearly gotten him. Neville just kept his mouth shut and struggled to keep up. He didn’t find it as much of a struggle as he’d thought he would.

The reason breakfast was amusing was, the twins. After a few minor pranks on Lockhart, they’d faded back into the woodwork for a week. Now, they were all over him like a bad rash. No one knew how they did the things they did. No one wanted to piss them off by asking. But they all really enjoyed the results. Harry even started attending breakfast just to see what would happen next.

Lockhart showed up for breakfast his usually immaculate, handsome (to him) self. His smile was perfect, his hair was perfect glittering gold and his robes were arranged just so and fluttered around his ankles exactly as he liked. Until he sat down. Then his hair turned a rather mousy brown, his teeth became a bit crooked and slightly yellow, and his robes wrinkled under his arms and at his waist.

He didn’t notice, but everyone in the Great Hall did. The laughter clued him in to the fact that something was going on so he conjured a mirror. His shriek was almost girly. A few quick flourishes of his wand and he was back to what passed for him as normal.

When breakfast was over, Lockhart stood up, and changed back. The giggles that came from around the room made him aware that he’d changed again. He flourished his wand again, even more vehemently than before and returned to his be-spelled, more beautiful appearance. He glared around at the Great Hall then stormed out, muttering direly under his breath.

Harry couldn’t help it, he turned to the twins and smirked. “Very good, my friends.”

McGonagall stopped the trio at the doors. “I’ve noticed that you are missing too many meals. I know that you ...” she looked at Harry. “don’t appreciate the way some eat. But eating with your house is important. How are you to make friends, if you avoid all contact with your housemates. Please attend more meals in the Great Hall and fewer in your study room.” She nodded at Harry and walked away, back straight, head erect.

Harry just shrugged and glanced from Hermione to Neville. “Well! I guess we’re told.”

Hermione nodded. “We better do as she asks. We need to save our arguments for more important things than where we eat.”

Harry nodded back in agreement. “You’re right. So. At least we don’t have to cope with Weasley. But I do wonder ...” He trailed off thinking.

Lockhart found that his appearance changed at irregular intervals all day long. He finally retreated to his quarters immediately after his last class of the day. When he undressed he found an unusual bit of paper stuck to the back of his trousers. He crumpled it up and tossed it into the fire without another thought. As Harry had suspected, the man was nearly totally oblivious.

Lunch came and went, then, at dinner, Harry got a small jewellery box via personal courier.

The man just walked in the doors, found Harry with a quick look around. He approached the table and bowed deeply. Harry nodded back and turned on the bench, swinging his feet over to the aisle. He pulled something from a pocket, enlarged and transfigured it into a pillow then tossed it on the floor.

The Yakuza moved forward and Harry realized that he was Sato. Sato-san bowed his head and offered the box balanced on the palms of his hands, lifting the box until his head was between his arms. Yusuke took it, opened it and looked at it’s contents. “Ah!” He put the box on the table at his elbow, completely forgetting Hermione’s insatiable curiosity. He cleared his throat then ordered, “Look up.” The harsh Japanese made several people look over.

“This one is sorry, young lord. That one ... was afraid.” Sato shrugged. “He needed help.”

“Truly?” Yusuke was ready to forgive, if the man had made a real effort.

“Yes. He begged me to help him. He is ... young, in mind. And not strong. I ... beg forgiveness for sponsoring such a poor, weak thing.” Sato had turned out to be old school Yakuza. “I also offer yubitsumi.”

Yusuke just shook his head. “I don’t want it. You have offered twice now. Drop it.”

Sato-san nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Kumicho. Will that be all?”

“Yes. Go back to Ken No Ie and rest.” Yusuke dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Sato-san got up, picked up the cushion and handed it to Yusuke. He then turned on his heel and left without another word. His honor was satisfied and he was happy.

As they watched his exit, the other students at the table began to relax. Until Hermione let out a shriek to rival a banshee. She dropped the box that her curiosity had caused her to pick up. It tipped on one side and a severed finger fell out and rolled on the table, coming to rest about an inch from it.

Harry, in full Yakuza mode, was not sympathetic at all. “And that’s what you get for being nosy.”

Hermione jumped up from the table and ran out. Harry and Neville both just eyed her retreat.

No one was really sure how Professor McGonagall got to the table so fast but suddenly she was there. She reached out; then, thinking better of her intent, she levitated the object to hover in the air above the table. Yusuke just watched with amusement as the professor paled. “This is a human finger. Why would that man bring you such a thing?”

Yusuke had to admit that he was impressed with her calm. “I was offended, insulted and attacked. I do not appreciate such things. It is an apology, the only one acceptable. Now ...” He disposed of the finger with a wave of his hand. It burst into flames and the ash disappeared with a soft whoof.

“Mr ... I do not understand. And I do wish to.” The professor pinned Yusuke with a gimlet eye.

“At my rank, I am ... unassailable. This does not mean that no one tries. The ones who do, and survive their stupidity, are expected to present me with a tangible expression of their regret. Or I’ll take their head off the next time I see them.” He waited for the effect of this. He didn’t have long to wait.

“That’s the most uncivilized thing I’ve ever heard.” The Headmistress grimaced in disgust.

“I see. Well, think about this.” Yusuke got a cold, distant expression. “You ...” he glanced around. “All of you, expect me to kill this Dark Lord of yours for you. There are approximately 75 Senior Aurors. There are also uncounted adult Wizards in England. Yet, you expect me, a seventeen year old, to kill him for you. Then you complain when I turn out to be capable. I don’t want to be here. A thing I’ve told you over and over again. I was happy running my businesses in Japan, yet you had to drag me here because you are all too great a bunch of cowards to do your own dirty work. Now, I’m hungry. I’m going to sit down and eat my dinner. If anyone has any complaints about the way I handle myself ... you can fuck yourselves.” And with that, he sat down and picked up his chopsticks.

Headmistress McGonagall, for her part, glared around for a moment, then ordered, “Aye, and wa’ are ye gowpin’ at? Eat your dinners!” And with that, she returned to the high table, a sour, discontent expression on her face.

Harry’s tablemates all eased away from him, leaving him sitting with a significant gap between him and them. Neville remained by his side, ignoring the rest of the table with regal distain. Hermione didn’t return to the table.

Neville also pointedly ignored Harry’s dark, dire mutterings about ‘Nanashi’ and ‘idiot adults’ who wouldn’t swat a fly if it was inconvenient.

When he was sure Neville was through eating, Harry barked, “Come!” and led the way out of the Great Hall and up to Gryffindor.

Hermione was seated on a love seat in the common room, still pale. She looked up when Harry stepped through the open portrait door. “Yusuke. I’m so sorry I snooped. I know I shouldn’t have and I got what I deserved. But ...” she took a deep breath, obviously censored what she was about to say then continued, “I’m totally changing the subject. I’m not going there. Never. Not my business. But.” She ducked her head then peeked at Harry through he lashes. “Can I see your tattoos up close again? Please?”

Harry felt that he could offer a bit of an olive branch, too. “Ok. We should do this somewhere ... not the common room.”

Hermione got up and followed Harry up to their dorm room with Neville on her heels.

When they got into the room, they found that Seamus was there but Dean was in the library, working on a paper that was already overdue.

“Hey, Seamus, Yusuke’s going to show Hermione his tattoo’s, you better stay as chaperone.” Neville smirked at Seamus, well aware that the Irish boy was fascinated by the body art.

Seamus perked up, climbing off his bed with a smile on his face. He had been wanting a closer look at Harry’s tattoo’s but had been afraid to offend him. He had said, ’No staring.’ after all.

“Sure an’ I’ll be glad to gooseberry.”

Harry looked at Hermione in question.

“Old saying. A gooseberry is a chaperone.” Hermione smiled at Seamus. “And you don’t look like my maiden great aunt Murgatroyd.” she laughed at Seamus’ wide eyed expression.

“Begorah! Someone actually named her that?” He blinked once. “Blimey.”

“Yes. She’s my great aunt on Daddy’s side. The oldest of six living children. I think she was born in 1910. She’s really old. For a muggle, that is.”

They all laughed at that then Hermione turned to Yusuke. “Ok, strip!”

Neville gaped at Hermione for a second then started laughing. He flopped down on his bed and howled. Seamus exclaimed, “Hermione!” in a tone of such indignation that she finally figured out what she’d said.

“Oh, my goodness me. Yusuke, I’m sorry.” She turned bright red and started to leave.

Harry managed to continue his snicker fit and catch her hand at the same time. He dragged her back to his bed and pushed her into the waiting chair, which he’d pulled over from his desk. No one could figure out how he moved so damn fast.

“Onna no baka. Sit!” Harry got his snickers under control.

“Well, first. How did they do your tattoos? You never explained it exactly.” Hermione scrunched up her nose. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

Harry produced one of his kretek cigarettes and dragged in a lungful. “Yes, frankly, some places hurt like a mother fucker. Others ... not so much.” He shrugged then smoked for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain a poked tattoo. He remembered telling the boys, on that first night of teaching them Hana Fuda.

Hermione watched for a moment then asked, “Are they poked?”

“How’d you know about that?” He waved the hand holding his cigarette, leaving a contrail of smoke behind. “Never mind. Book, right?”

Hermione smiled and nodded. “And can I just say. Ow!”

‘Yeah. Hurts worse over bone. Or where the skin is really thin. That’s why some wimps don’t get tattooed over their spine. I would have gotten a neck piece, but Father forbade me. He made me get a short sleeve body suit. Short legs too.”

Hermione watched as he stood up and stripped down, dropping his black school robes, trousers and t-shirt on his bed. “Um ... can I touch again? I was so excited last time that I sort of forgot. They don’t feel different than normal skin. Only ... the skin is normal just ... covered with ink?”

“You can touch my back above the waist. My chest or arms.” Harry smiled at Hermione’s obvious eagerness to touch.

Hermione reached out and stroked Harry’s shoulder. “Oh, it doesn’t feel any different. I thought it might feel slick or something. Why didn’t you get long legs, or full sleeves?”

Harry gave her an incredulous look. “Please. You think I’m an asshole when I get mad? You should see Chichi-ue. He’s ... indescribable. He doesn’t get red in the face or pale, but you know he’s really pissed when he just goes still. My gumi say I’m the same. He’s not a BAMF, he’s the man BAMF’s are scared of.”

Hermione suddenly snatched her hand back. She realized that she’d been stroking his shoulder all this time. “Um ... sorry. Wauri. Um ... what’s a BAMF?”

Neville shrugged from where he was leaning negligently against his bed post. “A bad ass mother fucker.”

Hermione started to scold Neville for language but gave up at Seamus’ stern look. They’d had a bit of a do over that. Seamus had finally said, “Well, I don’t tell you how to talk in your home. I think it’s a bit rude for you to tell us how to go on in ours.” That was when Hermione had realized how obnoxious she’d been. She’d apologized and firmly told herself to stop.

She spent a few more minutes examining the tattoo’s; watching the peonies bud, open and close, then die. She tried to count the koi but gave up as they seemed to delight in hiding under the leaves and Iris flowers. However, she did see the ‘hidden treasure’.

“Oh! One of the koi is different. It’s black!” She pointed, careful not to touch Harry as the koi was presently on his thigh.

“Yes. It’s a Black Ranchu. Like it?”

“I do. But ... why peonies, instead of water lilies? I’d think koi ...” Hermione blinked as Harry just turned his back again. “Oh, of course. Water lilies and dragons just don’t go. peonies and Dragons do. But why the rest?”

Harry shrugged. “I grew more than expected and the Iris are a fill in. Which led to the koi because we wanted something to show as the flowers opened and closed. I flatly refused butterflies. Especially since one of the wakashu said we should have caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies. The entire life cycle.” he gave a shudder. “Ugh! Caterpillars. No, I thank you, definitely not. No bugs for me.” and with that, he calmly started redressing.

Hermione sighed. “I wish ... I wish we could all go as anime characters. That would be so much fun.” She quashed her wistful expression and demanded, “Well, since we’re all here ... Seamus excepted ... what should we be?”

Harry grinned at her. He’d intended it to be a surprise but Hermione was so obviously going to obsess over Halloween that he relented. “How about a Miko, a samurai and a monk.”

Hermione’s reaction was everything he could have hoped. “Oh, yes! Yesyesyes! Please. Have you made any arrangements yet?”

“Yes. There was an initial fitting at that place in Hogsmead. But now that you know, I’ll just have one of my dansei come up with all the things and have a proper fitting. We’ll have to have Professor McGonagall there, or some other lady.” Hermione looked puzzled. Harry supplied the information that, “I have a tailor, not a seamstress.”

“Oh. ok. I could ask her for ... Saturday morning? That would give the tailor a week?” Hermione almost lost herself in contemplation. Harry easily brought her back by blowing a cloud of smoke into the air.

“Yes. A week. But it won’t take him that long. There’s not too much tailoring in Japanese clothing. Length isn’t a problem as it’s controlled by the obi, rather than hemming.”

Hermione nodded, then asked, “Am I going to wear blue or red?”

Harry snorted, “Miko, not archer. Red hakama and white hakama-shita. Tabi and sandals.” At Hermione’s questioning look he explained, “Most Miko don’t wear geta as they’re too noisy in a temple. So you’ll wear straw sandals, as will Neville. Monks often go barefooted but not here in Hogwarts.” He smiled at Neville. “I don’t want him to get frostbitten. And I’ll be damned if I’m going barefooted in this cold either.”

After a bit more planning of costumes, Seamus announced that if they wanted to talk anymore they needed to get out, he had homework to do.

Harry smirked at him, saying, “Fine. I have reports to read, as does Neville. Hermione, how goes the search for our petrification monster?”

“Not very well. I have narrowed it down to two or, maybe, three. I need the last of the books I ordered to be sure. And ... on that note...” she slapped her hands down on her thighs as she stood up. “I’m gone. I’ve got work to do too.”

After she left, Neville dropped onto his bed, laughing like a loon. Yusuke gave him a look of disgust, announcing that he’d lost his tiny mind.

Neville shook his head. “That’s the second time she’s asked to see and touch you.”

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose. “I know. Shut up.”

Seamus allowed, “I think she’s got a crush on you.” His sing-song delivery got him a pillow in the face. “Oi! Can’t help her emotional state.”

Yusuke settled to do his work after another sneer in their direction. His dire mutters fell on deaf ears  
.

The next three days passed without much incident, mostly because McGonagall refused to do anything about the small problem at dinner. The rest of the school just knew that something had upset her. Dumbledore was absent, as he was more and more lately. The only other person who really knew what had happened was Draco Malfoy. He’d been sneaking, as he did, and seen from where he was standing in the gap between the great doors and the side wall of the opening into which they were set. He wrote to his father and got back a reply that set his blood pressure soaring.

“Those knives were tanto. And an insult. I am not sure, my son, what you have done to offend and annoy Mr Miyamoto but I instruct you not to do it again.”

It was short, not very sweet and annoyed Draco enough that he did something really stupid. The first thing he did was get one of the Ravenclaws that owed him a favor to find out exactly what the insult was, just so he’d know how to answer it.

The Ravenclaw boy did his research and sent a note that explained that four was an unlucky number, red was considered ‘girly’, cheap knives were an insult to his manhood. The guards on the short bladed weapons implied the receiver was inept with a blade. It had been badly wrapped and delivered by a stranger. The insults were clear, to a Japanese, especially a Yakuza. Draco was infuriated.

He dismissed the Ravenclaw with a good cussing out then called his ‘posse’, a wonderful muggle expression he’d found somewhere or other, and gave his instructions. Pansy refused outright, telling Draco that he’d better listen to his father. Millicent Bulstrode followed Pansy, who was becoming the Slytherin Princess to replace Draco as Slytherin Prince. This was not as bad a move as many would think.

Pansy was vain, self-centered and spoiled. But she’d been raised to be political; and, unlike Draco, she’d paid attention. She wasn’t sure who Miyamoto Yusuke was and she wasn’t sure she even wanted to. But, if Mr Malfoy said to leave him alone, she was quite willing to. The boy was more dangerous than anything she wanted anything to do with, especially as Professor Snape regarded him somewhat in the light of one of the Twins more dangerous pranks. Her vision of Harry Potter definitely didn’t fit the facts.

Pansy knew she wasn’t truly smart, more sly and conniving, she also knew who was smarter than she was. She took advice once as a test, again on trust then, only from those who were consistently right. She was rapidly building a team of advisors which included Millicent, Theo Knott, the Greengrass sisters and a few others. She listened to them, considered all their advice, made plans; then had them help her refine them. Their advice was, lay low for now, find out what his objectives were and either help him or not. Most of Slytherin seemed to agree with this.

.

Dumbledore wandered down a corridor, thinking about a bill being pushed through the ICW. He wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea or not and he was trying to make up his mind.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a second year girl called to him, “Oh, Professor Dumbledore, no one can get into this loo. Could you see if you can open the door, please?”

“Of course, my dear. It must be stuck. Miss Myrtle must have done something.” He flicked his wand and opened the door, musing that he hadn’t realized that the ghostly girl had gotten so powerful. “There you go.” and with that he ambled away, never wondering why the door had been stuck shut.

Harry ran into him about ten minutes later. He was skipping History, as usual. “Professor Dumbledore.” He bowed slightly.

“Ah! Harry, my dear boy, how are you today?” Dumbledore ignored Harry’s slight wince at being called dear boy.

“I am well. I just wanted to let you know that my father can make arrangements for Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape to obtain some mandrake from our supplies in Japan.”

Dumbledore gave him a blank look, saying, “Why would we use foreign ingredients when we’re perfectly capable of producing our own? No, Harry, I think not.”

“One reason, I have offered. Another is, the mandrake is fresh, available now and of perfectly acceptable quality.” Harry produced a cigarette, puffed for a moment then continued, “But, have it your own way. I’ll tell my father that our product is not of sufficient quality for your consideration.” And with that, he bowed, a shallow, abrupt thing that was just short of spitting in Dumbledore’s face and glided off.

He wondered what Madam Pomfrey would think about this, if she found out. Then he decided that it might be better if she didn’t. Medi-witches were equal to Healers and he was sure she’d rip a strip off Dumbledore if she ever found out that he’d refused medicine because of its origin. He sighed to himself, these English were incomprehensible to him. He knew he was actually English, of course, but his early training had not endeared him to the race. The training he’d gotten from his adoptive father was totally Japanese and Yakuza. He sometimes felt wrong footed and it pissed him off.

He decided to go back to his dorm and finish the reports from his advisors in Japan. He was sure that no one realized that he was in constant contact with his father and brothers, as well as his Wakagashira, Shateigashira, and Fuku-honbucho’s in Japan. He valued their opinions and advice, and tended to listen to them very carefully, but the final decision, and the onus was all on his shoulders. He also listened to his team here in England. That made for a lot of reading, outside classes, and many decisions to make. He was glad he didn’t sleep much.

When he settled at his personal desk, still half hidden behind his bed, he found that his mail box was nearly full. This brought about a sigh. He was still a sixteen year old boy after all. And a mail box full of reports and advisors recommendations was not something he was looking forward to, but he dutifully spread them out, sorted them and started reading.

He read right through until dinner, it took Hermione in full cry to pry him away from his work. She simply climbed the stairs into the dorm and barked, “Yusuke-kun, you have to eat. Professor McGonagall won’t say much about us eating lunch in the Juku, and breakfast most days, but she’ll throw a wobbly if you don’t eat dinner in the great hall. You have exactly ten minutes before we’re unacceptably late. Come on!” Hermione then turned and stormed down the stairs to wait for Harry, arms crossed over her breasts, foot tapping impatiently.

Harry was down the stairs in two minutes. He was dressed in BDU’s and combat boots, without robes. “I’m here. Let’s go.”

Neville just pointed out, with easy mildness, “We’re supposed to wear robes to dinner.” He indicated his own school robes with a sweep of his hand.

Harry, it seemed, was not in the mood to oblige. “Well, then, let someone give me a detention.”

Hermione snorted, “Not that you’d attend anyway. But, if they take points, I’m going to be unhappy.”

“If they take points, I’ll throw the whole house a party. No one can be mad at me then.” His easy smirk made Hermione huff and Neville shrug. “Well? Late?”

So they hurried off to the Great Hall to settle at the Gryffindor table and wait for food.

Dumbledore got up and gave a rambling speech about house unity and tolerance, which no one much listened to, and then he sat down and tapped the head table with his wand. Food appeared in its usual abundance. Hermione was happy to see some new Japanese treats.

Harry reached over and picked up a plate that looked like it had a pancake on it. “Okonomiyaki.” Harry poked at it with his chopsticks. “Mmmm, shrimp. Hermione? Would you like half?”

“Please. It does look good, but I want to save some room for the takoyaki. Oh, and noodles.” She happily helped herself to several dishes, passing them down the table. “I really do like these dishes. The red is nice, but the blue is very pretty too. Why are the dishes all different colors?”

Harry filled rice bowls for Neville and Hermione as he answered, “Red is beef, blue is sea food, yellow is chicken, orange is pork. Vegetable dishes are usually white except for curries. Those, you usually have to guess at.”

Hermione nodded. “Yes, it’s either curry or it’s not and you can’t really tell until you get a mouthful.” She sighed happily at the taste of her latest choice.

No one noticed Draco sneaking up behind them, most of the students were eating, gossiping, reading; the rest had their attention on what was going on but were Slytherin and wouldn’t warn them.

Harry noticed that moment too late that something was up. The sudden silence when others noticed Draco so close to the Gryffindor table was just barely warning enough. One of the twins shouted, “Neville! Heads up!”

And that was all it took. Neville ducked, nearly planting his face in a bowl of mash. The swoosh of a blade over his head was proof that he had needed to duck. Hermione shrieked and rolled under the table, tipping the bench she was sitting on over in the process. This made several other students fall into the aisle. All this commotion gave Yusuke the opportunity he needed to trap Draco.

He snatched the short sword out of Draco’s hand and pinned his robes to a bench with it. The quick swing and stab made Draco scream like a little girl. His wide eyes took in the expression on Yusuke’s face, drifted off to catch sight of an equally furious Neville then darted to the head table to find that not even Severus, his head of house would look at him.

Yusuke glowered at the head table for a moment then snarled, “And this is what you get when some impulsive, immature, self-centered, young ass is allowed to run unrestrained by any form of discipline.” He kicked a bench up to the front of the room, just below the middle of the high table, using a bit of levitation to guide it to where he wanted it. “Since you don’t seem to be able to restrain this ... person. I will.” He gave Dumbledore a challenging look. “Or ... you could have his father meet mine.” Dumbledore shook his head, Miyamoto Mushashi’s reputation had been dinned into his ears at the ICW so he was sure that that meeting would only result in mayhem. “Good.”

And with that, Yusuke grabbed Draco by the arm, yanked the sword back out of the bench then dragged him to the front of the hall and sat down on the other bench. Hermione, who had crawled out from under the table, cheered. Yusuke dragged a red faced Draco over his knees, tossed his robes over his head, exposing his thin linen trousers and smacked him on the ass, hard.

Draco screamed, Yusuke smacked him again, on the other cheek. Draco screamed even louder. A few people started to snicker but Yusuke dumped Draco on the floor, stood up and snarled, “Any more of that and you’re next.” He then grabbed Draco, tossed him back over his lap and went back to smacking his ass. It didn’t take long for Draco to be reduced to a miserable sniveling mess.

No one at the head table interfered, taking their cue from Dumbledore, who sat and watched with a benign expression on his elderly face. His bright lime green robes covered the fact that he held his wand in his hand. He would interfere if things went too far.

Yusuke dumped Draco onto the floor and stood up. Draco rolled over onto his back, tears of rage and pain trickling down his cheeks. “You! How dare you? I’ll tell my father. Just you wait. He’ll ...”

“He’ll come here to speak to me. Write your letter. Tell him I cry foul on House Malfoy. You attacked from behind, with a blade.” Yusuke eyed the sword with a disgusted expression. “Not that it’s much of a sword, but still.” Yusuke picked up the sword and broke it over his thigh. He tossed the pieces at Draco then turned and went back to his seat. “What are you all staring at? Eat!”

Draco snatched up the pieces of his sword and ran out the main door. His footfalls echoed in the empty vestibule and faded as he went down the stairs.

“Yes, yes. Let’s all finish our meals.” Lockhart called out. “Now that that’s all over with. Not that I couldn’t have handled it myself, if I had been close enough. Shame that. But what can you do with these impulsive children. Reminds me of the time...” He was just beginning to hit his stride when Professor Flitwick just silenced him, the diminutive professor was obviously not in the mood to listen to one of Lockhart's rambling discourses on his own prowess. The rest of the table all returned to their meals, casting grateful looks at Professor Flitwick. Lockhart continued to talk, oblivious to the fact that no one could hear him, except his ego.

The students returned to their meals as well, but the buzz of conversation, wondering and marveling was deafening. And the staring was so out of hand that one student nearly stabbed another in the hand with a fork.

The group composed of Harry, Hermione, Neville and the Weasley Twins ate quickly and left. They went to the juku and Harry shut the door, slapping an ofuda on it to lock it.

“Well, that was fun.” Harry rubbed his face. “That boy is going to force me to kill him ... or his father.”

Neville spoke up. “You need to write Mr Malfoy a letter. A very formal letter, asking for a meeting. Otherwise, you’re right, you’re going to have to kill either one, or both of them. I’ll help you if you like.”

The twins grimaced at each other then one of them opined, ‘He’s right. And that, killing either one of them, will start more trouble than we believe you want. We’ll help too.” Everyone in the room noticed that only one of the twins spoke. This was a sure sign that they were serious. They were pranksters supreme, but they had a serious side that was rarely seen. If they put the ‘twin-speak’ and silliness aside, you’d better pay attention.

Hermione just sat down at her desk, took out a pad of yellow paper and a pen. “Ok, someone start.”

It took them nearly an hour to write the letter. Neville read it over then handed it to the twins for a second opinion. Their opinion was, it was threatening enough to catch Malfoy, Sr.’s attention, without being so threatening as to offend him. Hermione opined that the technicalities were also correct. Harry sat down to copy it out on his best parchment in his fanciest hand.

After that, he had to come up with a proper giri. It had to be something exactly right. He settled on a bottle of excellent wine, wrapped in a furoshiki made from purple and gold kimono fabric. He did the wrapping himself, as was proper, making the paper bows that dangled from the cord tie himself. He then carefully attached the letter, called one of his dansei, who folded right into the juku and gave his instructions.

The dansei just bowed, said, “Hai, Kumicho.” and folded away. He delivered the wine and letter with a deep bow, to the house elf. The elf dutifully delivered the gift to Mr Malfoy who read the letter while drinking the wine. Finally, he wondered how the hell he’d managed to sire such an idiot. He sighed. He was going to have to go to Hogwarts and meet with young Miyamoto. He pondered what sort of gift he should take.

Of course, he made the mistake of believing that it had to be something elegant, expensive and lasting. Intrusive. The proper gift would have been, like the bottle of wine, something consumable, wrapped elegantly. He picked a very expensive silk shirt in Slytherin green, wrapped in white paper with white ribbons. Not something he should have given on so many levels it was ridiculous.

One, it was improper for an older, unrelated man to give any clothing as a gift. Two, Harry was a Gryffindor. Three, white is only for funerals. In addition, he had a house elf wrap it with magic.

Dumbledore looked up from his work when Lucius Malfoy entered Hogwarts through his floo. He was glad to put aside the report of the strange letters appearing on some of the students faces.

“Ah! Lucius, my friend, to what do I owe this pleasant visit?” Dumbledore smiled benignly and offered tea, sherbet lemons and settled back.

“No, I thank you. I am here to see if I can mend fences with young Miyamoto.” Lucius eyed the tea and sweets with a jaundiced eye. He didn’t know what was in either one but he was suspicious of both.

Dumbledore nodded. “I understand. I will send for him immediately. I’m sure he’ll be glad for the visit.”

Lucius doubted that but he kept his peace.

Harry wasn’t happy with the surprise visit at all. He scowled at the prefect, who had waylaid him on the way to breakfast, then told him to tell Dumbledore he’d be there in ten minutes. The prefect took his life in his hands by telling Harry that he was to come at once.

Harry just drew himself up to his full height at snarled, “I will not! You do as I say, or you’ll regret it. I am not greeting a personage like Lucius Malfoy dressed like a tramp. Go!” The prefect went.

Harry entered the dorm at a dead run, with Neville right behind him. “Attend me!”

Neville didn’t bother to object to being treated like valet, he had every intention of doing exactly that. “Fine! What impression do you want to make. Japanese and don’t give a fuck, or English and need to make amends?”

“And when did I ever give anyone the impression that I gave a damn?” Harry reached into his mallet space and pulled out his best daisho, which actually consisted of three blades the katana, wakizashi, and a tanto. “Full samurai, I think. I’d wear armour but it’s in Japan.”

“Shit! Yusuke-kun, you’re bloody scary.” Neville regarded his friend with awe.

“Thank you. Here.” Harry pulled out what he’d been looking for. “Just that much too elegant. A subtle insult, if he has the sense to see it.”

What Harry was going to wear was a very simply cut full samurai garb, a kataginu kamishimo, and it was going to be a scramble to get into it without being insultingly late. And, while he did intend insult, he didn’t want to slap Malfoy in the face with it.

Harry dropped his clothing where he stood and started getting into his undergarments, which consisted of a white cotton juban tied with a matching obi cord. Then he put on tabi and waraji, tying the strings in a fancy knot. After that came the kosode of dark green silk, with its short sleeves tied to keep them neat until Harry put on the matching hakama, wrapping his green and gold obi carefully. After the hakama, came the vest like kataginu, with three mon, the crest of the Miyamoto family, embroidered in gold thread. One large one on the back and a smaller one on each side of the front. He eyed the arrangement of his garments in a mirror and nodded. Neville untied the strings on Harry’s sleeves, tidied a fold or two and nodded back.

Lucius Malfoy wouldn’t understand that wearing a katiginu instead of a hitatari implied that he, Lucius, wasn’t trustworthy. The open, sleeveless vest allowed ease of draw, leaving the hilts of all swords free. Silk was also an insult, it was too rich for the occasion.

Harry stuck his swords into his obi and headed for the headmasters office.

He arrived, neat and apparently unflustered just short of rudely late. “My apologies. I was not appropriately dressed. Please excuse my rudeness.”

Dumbledore jumped into the breach, saying, “That’s quite alright, my boy, no problem.”

Harry gave him a bland, blank stare, and then bowed just exactly right. “Ah! Hon kenkyona hito wa anata ni kansha.” Since Dumbledore didn’t understand Japanese the insult passed him completely. He transfigured a chair with a wave of his hand, turning it into a ‘sword chair’ with special cut outs to allow his swords room.

Dumbledore noticed the swords and stiffened. “I’m sorry, my boy, but ... weapons are not allowed, you’ll have to give them to me.”

“No.” And with that, the first volley was fired. Miyamoto Yusuke wouldn’t yield to Albus ‘too many middle names’ Dumbledore. Dumbledore didn’t even realize the insult of attempting to take Yusuke’s swords.

Lucius Malfoy, however, did. “Pray, do not be foolish, Dumbledore. I am sure those swords were given to Mr Potter by his adoptive father. Attempting to confiscate such a thing ... is just not done.” He accepted Yusuke’s tight nod as his due. “Here. I have a present for you. An apology of sorts.” He motioned to the elf behind him.

The elf scurried forward, offered Harry the box and popped away, leaving Harry to catch it, or not. He caught it easily, with a wave of his hand, and opened it with another wave. He eyed the shirt for a moment then said, “I am ... unworthy. But it is nice.” He realized that Malfoy probably didn’t realize the insults but he was annoyed anyway. It wouldn’t have been that hard to do some research.

“I’m glad you like it. Silk is so elegant, don’t you think?” Lucius recognized that he’d managed to insult the boy, somehow. Now he needed to smooth things over.

“It is. Chichi-ue says that it is for certain occasions only.” He shrugged. “I obey him ... when I feel like it.”

“Obedience is to be earned, not demanded.” Lucius felt he was on solid ground with that comment.

“It is, indeed. As well as terms of respect.” Yusuke waited for a response to that one.

Dumbledore inserted his unwelcome presence again. “Now, now. All this formality, can’t we just get to the point?” He got twin looks of disgust.

Lucius nodded to Dumbledore. “Formality has its place. If you will excuse us.” He stood. “Perhaps we should leave the Headmaster to his duties?”

Yusuke bowed to Dumbledore, dismissing him from the conversation with a firmly turned shoulder. “Yes. It would not do to keep him from his long neglected duties. Perhaps a walk?”

Lucius Malfoy was no man’s fool, except Voldemort’s, and knew that this boy was as dangerous as the daisho he carried. “Yes, a walk would be nice.”

Dumbledore, knowing that he’d been sidelined, suggested the Professor’s Garden then went back to his paperwork.

Lucius led the way down the circular staircase and off toward the garden. “This way.” They walked side by side for a moment. “I believe I put you out by popping in unannounced. I regret the inconvenience.”

“Sore wa nani mo arimasen ... it is nothing. Proprieties are important, however.” Yusuke bowed slightly.

“Very. I do not understand your ways very well. I do however, understand that my son has managed to annoy you.” Lucius noticed that his companion winced, just a tightening around his eyes but obvious to someone who knew what to look for. He backed off. “The garden is this way. It was a kitchen garden when Hogwarts was first constructed and continued to be used as such until about 1750 or so. Then, it was converted into a private garden for the professors. A place to relax from the rigors of tolerating the ... behaviours of so many young people.”

“Someplace, such as this, is a good thing. Meditation and contemplation are ... necessities. Especially at a young age. Discipline is not learned without outside applications. Ne?” Yusuke opened and held the door for Lucius, demonstrating in the process that he did know how to control a sheathed sword.

They walked into the garden, which was in full bloom. The smell of lavender, roses, lilies and jasmine filled the warm air.

“Does your school have gardens?” Lucius was aware that Yusuke would not think of Hogwarts as ‘his’ school.

“Ah. Watashi no gakko ... my school. I am home schooled. I find this tradition of sending a child away from family for most of a year ... allowing near strangers to have authority to instil proper ways ... not to my taste.” Yusuke stopped to smell a rose, swords neatly tucked beneath his buttocks as was proper.

Lucius noted the way Harry handled his swords. “I do notice that you carry three swords. Are you truly trained in swordplay?”

“Yes. I am trained in the way of Bushido. My father felt that it would be ... amusing. I also sing, play several instruments, dance, arrange flowers and can tell any current joke around. I’m well educated in politics, business administration and law. All at my father’s knee. He gave me my first business when I was twelve. It is still a success.”

Lucius felt a shiver run down his back. Miyamoto was a Yakuza, this he knew, he wasn’t sure how deeply involved this polite boy was in the business, but all his sources said to watch out for him. He decided to take a chance. “I have been informed that one of your titles is Shiko-sha. Can you explain this to me?”

“Ano ... I am Shikkō-sha. My father’s enforcer. I have also been called Bokunenjin, The Quiet One. My Father orders, I obey. I offered him yubitsumi at the age of ten. He was pleased.” Yusuke waited for an answer to this.

Lucius blinked. “Yubitsumi?”

“The cutting off of a finger, in apology for ... an error, a mistake, or insult.”

“I see.” Lucius strolled on, carefully hiding his reaction.

“Perhaps. Uncontrolled young people tend to do ... foolish things.” Yusuke offered this opening to see what Lucius would make of it.

Of course, Lucius stepped wrong. “Perhaps some people rein in their children too much.”

“A person properly in control of himself, needs no reins.” Yusuke decided that the man was an idiot. He not only didn’t care that Draco was out of control, he had no intention of reining him back in.

“This Bushido you mentioned, what is it?” Lucius wanted to change the subject to give himself time to think. He’d made some sort of misstep, again, and needed to figure out what it was.

“Ano ... Bushido. The way of the Samurai, the warrior class of Japan. Summed up Bushido is about honor. In addition to honor, six other core virtues are associated with Bushido. These include courage, respect, honesty, loyalty, compassion, and integrity. There are many rules and traditions to be observed, neglecting any of them can, and is, considered a great insult. The Yakuza pride themselves on keeping their affairs within their clans. Dragging katagi into business is considered ... against Bushido ... and foolish.”

They reached a small structure, a gazebo, and entered to sit down in its comfortable chairs. The scent of Jasmine came from a rambling vine that climbed up the back of the gazebo. Yusuke took place of host and inquired with a polite bow, “Tea?”

“Please.” Lucius settled uncomfortably in another chair. He was feeling very off balance. This kid made him nervous, in a way that only Voldemort ever had.

The tea appeared and Yusuke poured two cups. He handed Lucius his and then took up his cup. “Very nice porcelain. I do like the way the roses are interspersed with violets. The pink and red of the one play off the different shades of purple in the other.”

Lucius wondered what the hell this was all about but managed to reply, “I don’t think the orange goes well. It’s too hard a colour.” He scowled, he’d made another misstep, he could tell by the raised eyebrow he’d gotten.

“Perhaps you are right. But ... the tea is good.” Yusuke waited to see if the man would criticize something else. The subtleties obviously evaded the man entirely. He wondered if Lucius even caught the rather unsubtle hint that Draco needed to be brought to heel.

“Yes, it is. Dumbledore has many faults, but his tea is good.” Lucius sighed, he hated all this dancing around but he wasn’t about to just out and say anything. It was much too dangerous. “You said that you have been trained to use those swords. Any chance of a demonstration?”

Yusuke almost rolled his eyes. Really! “Yes, if it pleases you. Although, I’m not sure how the Headmaster might take that.”

“He won’t mind, if I ask.” Lucius knew he had the young man cornered, but he wasn’t sure this had been such a good idea.

“Very well.” Yusuke summoned an elf, gave soft voiced instructions and ended, “Ten minutes?” The elf just nodded and popped away. “I thought I might invite a couple of friends ... and your heir. If you don’t mind.”

“No, not at all. I’ll admit to being very interested.” Lucius sipped his tea, eying Yusuke over the rim.

Yusuke just looked back. He also sipped his tea, enjoying the fragrance and taste. “This is good.” Yusuke meant everything, not just the tea. He resolved to sneak back into this garden at a later date, just to enjoy some peace.

“Yes, Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling.” Lucius gave up. He was out of his depth and knew it. It was galling that this young man was so composed, while he felt off balance every time he opened his mouth. This level of cold self-assurance in one so young was off putting in the extreme.

They sat in silence, calm and collected on Yusuke’s part; uncomfortable on Lucius’, until it was time for Yusuke’s demonstration.

An elf appeared, said, “Masters is coming this way.” and walked off.

The soft susurration of Yusuke’s silk hakama contrasted rather harshly with the louder shush of Lucius’ robes as they walked. Yusuke compared himself to Lucius as a katana to a kanabō, a Japanese war club. He shook his head, the man’s inept attempts at true subtlety were pathetic. He knew that Lucius was longing to just out and say things, he was also well aware that it would leave him vulnerable. He’d just managed to insult Yusuke, his family, his skills and his education. Hogwarts was so behind the times that Yusuke was tempted to send a letter to the ICW Educational Standards Department, just to see what would happen.

They followed the elf back into Hogwarts, down a flight of stairs and into a salle des armes. It had obviously been hastily cleaned, cobwebs still clung to the rafters here and there. But it was set up just as Yusuke had asked. He smiled at Neville, Hermione and Seamus. He nodded to Snape and bowed to Flitwick. Dumbledore, he ignored. He noticed that Draco was seated beside Snape so he ushered Lucius to sit between his son and Snape.

Yusuke smiled to himself, his father’s last letter had advised, “It is time, my beloved son, to be a little less subtle. Obviously, these barbarians have no sense at all. Make a show, somehow. Impress them with your skills. Be careful, you are not dealing with yakuza but only garutachi.”

After making sure that the tatami omote, cutting targets, were set up correctly; he went to kneel on a zabuton placed in the middle of the floor. He removed the tanto from his obi and carefully placed it on a pillow beside the zabuton, then the wakizashi joined it. He settled and focused himself, enjoying the opportunity to do so. He could jump into combat without any preparation, but he did like having time to settle his spirit and focus his intent. He also had time to tie his sleeves back.

While Yusuke was centering himself, Lucius addressed Severus. “That boy is ... intense.”

“Extremely so. Draco is very lucky.” Draco started to say something but shut up when both his god-father and father glared at him.

“I see. How good is he with a sword.” Lucius was prepared for ‘acceptable’.

“No idea. He used a sword in a couple of duels, I was in one and witnessed the other. That’s not saying much as I’m fairly sure he held back. I’m just not sure how much. My sources didn’t know anything either. All they know is he has at least eight tears on his face.”

Lucius winced at that euphemism. He had no idea where it came from but he did know that he had eight acknowledged assassinations to his name. “I see.” Draco opened his mouth. “Draco, do shut up.”

Draco wilted at this and settled into sulky silence.

Just in time too.

Yusuke issued a sharp cry, “Iea!” He drew his sword from a seated position, seiza. The first slash cut the omote in front of him right at neck height. He then resheathed his sword, still seated. He said, in a loud voice, “Iaido! Seated drawing, second cut.” He stood up, set himself then snatched his sword out of the sheath and cut the first omote into three pieces, he levitated one piece and split it lengthwise. The common explanation was, “A true swordsman should be able to make three cuts on one indrawn breath.” Yusuke managed exactly that, as well as a rather impressive piece of wandless levitation. He moved on to the next target and cut it exactly in half on a slant, then cut the top half in half on the return swing. He moved from omote to omote, demonstrating different cuts on each. His demonstration didn’t take more than three minutes but in those sparse few minutes he cut a target into two or three sections every five seconds, the elves had to really scramble to keep up with him.

Yusuke stilled, the legs of his hakama swinging a few times before they settled. He barked, “Kūki to kumo wa shūryō shimashita!” bowed and returned to his zabuton. He knelt and froze to rock like stillness. He rested there for a moment, until the soft patter of Hermione’s applause broke the tableau. Slowly, the rest of the observers joined in. Yusuke stood bowed then walked to pick up the rest of his swords.

Lucius poked Draco, who had stubbornly refused to clap. “Do you see what you are messing with, you stupid boy? He will kill you just as easily as he cuts those straw things. And I do not wish to try again at my age.” Draco bowed his head. “Do not bow your head like that unless you truly mean to obey me.”

Draco muttered, “I could beat him, if I had my saber.”

Yusuke heard him, somehow. “Boy, if you had a saber, you still couldn’t kill me. The problem is not whether a saber will kill me, but that you are not good enough or fast enough to stick it into my back. That is the only way you have a chance at all.” He tapped his left eye with one finger. “I have both my eyes on you.”

Hermione and Neville moved to flank him. “And we, his Ken no yūjin, also have our eyes on you.”

Draco twisted his face into a furious scowl. “You filthy mudblood, how dare you!”

Hermione tucked her thumb down properly and, before anyone except Yusuke knew what was happening, punched Draco directly in the eye. “Bite me!”

Yusuke eyed Draco for a moment then said mildly, “Better put that ... koinu on a shorter leash. He’s going to ... Neville? What saying is it that I want?”

Neville thought for a moment while Lucius and Draco both sputtered indignantly. “I think you want ... bite off more than he can chew.”

Dumbledore chose that moment to interrupt. “Miss Granger, that was unacceptable. Two detentions with Professor Snape. Draco, my dear boy, are you alright? Let me see to that.” but it was already too late, Snape had seen to the eye while Dumbledore was speaking. Seeing this, the Headmaster chose to try again to confiscate Yusuke’s swords. “And I really must insist on having those swords.”

Yusuke shrugged, “If you wish to pay, you may certainly buy them. Otherwise, I really must respectfully refuse to turn them over to you ... or anyone not family. They’re heirlooms. Kūki to kumo is a Masamuni and over four hundred years old. He is worth ... Sorry, I think in dollars and yen. Hermione? 250,00 American Dollars?”

“Approximately 12,000 galleons ... depending on the rate of exchange.” Hermione managed to look smug without overdoing it. “And that’s not taking into account that Headmaster Dumbledore wants to take the entire daisho. Add in the cost of a wakazashi and tanto of comparable age and quality and we’re talking about adding another fifty or sixty thousand dollars?” she gave Yusuke a questioning look to which he nodded. “Ok. We’re looking at 310,000 American or around 20,000 galleons. About what Malfoy Manor cost, new.”

Lucius was shocked to his toes. He had given Draco a very fine saber as soon as his instructor said he was worthy of it. It had cost 500 galleons, a very expensive sword, especially for a child.

Dumbledore backed off so fast his shoes squeaked, figuratively speaking. “Oh, well, I’ll allow you to keep them ... as long as you keep them locked up.” and that was when it all fell apart. Dumbledore had shown his inability to really make a decision and make it stick. He was always for placating the loudest voice, he hadn’t shown a spine since he’d thrown a fit at Petunia Dursley. He never realized that he’d been relegated to a peripheral position.

Professor Flitwick and Seamus joined them. Seamus offered Yusuke a frosty glass of ice water. “Here. You’ll be thirsty after all that.”

Yusuke took the glass and sipped. “Anyone else?” He waved a hand and an elf appeared with a tray of drinks. “Help yourselves. Please.”

Draco tried to take a glass of chilled white wine and got his hand slapped, twice, once by Lucius and at the same time by Professor Flitwick. He snarled but took a glass of pumpkin juice instead.

Seamus smiled at Hermione and took a glass of raspberry squash. Hermione smiled back.

Flitwick joined Snape in distracting Dumbledore with an analysis of the demonstration. Hermione glowered at Draco until he turned away and joined them.

“Seamus, Neville, let’s go look at some of those bits of otome.” and with that, she dragged them away to give Lucius and Yusuke some time.

Yusuke sipped his water, gathering his thoughts. “It is said that ... loyalties can be changed, a thing to be carefully considered before action is taken. Family obligations ... can be a factor. A lord should be careful how he disciplines his minions, too much and they fear him, too little and they don’t respect him.” He looked at Lucius through his eyelashes. “One of my men attacked me recently. I demanded yubitsumi and got it. If he had not given it, I would have taken it. I do not tolerate ... disrespect. Remember this. Also, remember, if he had been disrespected by garutachi, I would have gotten involved. To their detriment. Now, excuse me, Hermione is a box of why.”

Lucius shuddered, that boy was as dangerous as a cobra and cold as an ice flow. He wondered what yubitsumi was, he’d have to find out. In addition, he was seriously considering leaving England until this whole mess was over. He found himself wondering what the hell he’d seen in Voldemort anyway. He left, Hermione’s voice following him. Her bright, intelligent chatter annoyed him.

.

Harry finally answered all the questions. Flitwick wanted to know how the sword had been made and by who. He’d been amazed to find out that all Harry’s swords had names. He was delighted when he was allowed to handle the wakazashi, Kitsuen.

Seamus just said softly, “If I ever offend you, just punch me. Ok?” Harry grinned at him but didn’t say anything.

After everyone seemed to have left, Harry settled seiza to think a bit. He was hoping that he’d gotten through to Malfoy, Senior and Junior, but didn’t think he had.

He was aware of Snape settling beside him, black teaching robes bunched up under his knees.

Harry thought for a moment then remarked, “My friends are very dear to me.”

“Yes, good friends are without price.” Snape settled himself more comfortably.

“I find Dumbledore to be ... vague.” Harry took Kūki to kumo out of the saya and began to wipe him down with a bit of oiled rice paper.

“Dumbledore is becoming ... senile, for lack of a better term. Beware of him, though, he is powerful.” Snape sighed. “To aid the friend of a friend is something honourable to do.”

“Yes. This is good. Dumbledore is beginning to slip. He will not be caught.” Harry put Kūki to kumo away. “Kimi o sanshō, Snape-kyoju. The world is full of traps.”

“Yes, but a wise man knows where to put his foot.” Snape, satisfied that they had a meeting of minds, stood up. “Miss Granger ...” He shrugged, bowed and walked away.

“Yes, Miss Granger.” Harry murmured. If Snape hurt her in anyway, he would pay, dearly.

.

The next morning at breakfast, everyone was talking about Harry’s demonstration, mostly lamenting at the fact that they hadn’t been invited.

The group, which consisted of Harry, Hermione, Neville and Seamus, sat together.

Hermione always looked the whole of the Great Hall over. This time she was surprised and a bit pleased to see bully marks here and there. “Yusuke-kun, look.”

Harry looked around as well. He saw several marks around the room. Most of them were at the Slytherin table, but there were a few at Ravenclaw and one at Hufflepuff. He was pleased to see that the twins had avoided being marked. “I see. Excellent.” He settled to relax until Dumbledore was done nattering and they could eat.

Seamus snorted. “Oh, bloody hell, look at that.” he pointed to Dumbledore, who’d just entered. He was wearing hot pink robes. While that was bad enough, to cap the climax they were trimmed in citrus orange fringe with a large orange flash on each shoulder. His cap was orange with pink piping and his slippers had orange toes with pink heals. All in all, he was blinding.

Yusuke shuddered. “Perhaps I should gift him with something a bit more suitable?” He glanced at Hermione.

“Don’t waste your time or money. He wouldn’t wear them. I know that Professors Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick got together our second year and gave him some very beautiful navy blue robes for Christmas.” She grimaced. “He had them made into pillows.”

Neville shook his head. “He’s oblivious. It’s getting really bad. I might speak to Gran.”

Harry shook his head. “He’s got so much on his plate, with all his different jobs, that he’s gone absent minded. He thinks about bills and such when he should be paying attention to the here and now. Let it be.” Better an absent and absent minded Dumbledore, than someone who would interfere with business.

Dumbledore tapped his glass for their attention, then announced, “It pains me greatly to announce that there has been another petrification. Professor Trelawney was found outside the Second Floor Lady’s loo. All rules for your safety are still in force, please see that you obey them.” He glanced around then sat down, picked up a roll of parchment and started to read, absently stirring his empty tea cup.

Breakfast was well underway when Professor Lockhart chose to grace them with his presence.

Snape moved over a chair, waving his hand at Professor Flitwick and hissing, “Move down a chair, won’t you.” and McGonagall did the same with Professor Sinistra. They all knew that Lockhart would insist on sitting next to McGonagall as the ‘next senior’ to her. He wasn’t but no amount of argument would convince him that Snape was actually the next in command to McGonagall.

Lockhart settled in his preferred chair with a satisfied expression plastered on his face. He felt that he was particularly well turned out this morning. His peach colored robes and bright yellow shirt were perfect, his smile was bright, his hair was golden; all in all he was very handsome. He thought.

Fred and George, Neville, Harry and Hermione watched him carefully. Everything depended on him doing as he always did and taking his vitamin potion first. He did, then he summoned a house elf, gave painfully detailed instructions on how his breakfast was to be prepared and settled back to sip his pumpkin juice.

He sipped for a few moments then leaned into Snape and made some comment that made the professor scowl at him. Lockhart chuckled, flashing too white teeth. Harry strained to read his lips then wished he hadn’t. ‘You really should try my new tooth whitening potion.’ didn’t seem like something Lockhart should have said to the resident Potions Master. Snape ignored Lockhart with all the chill reserve he was capable of, it was a wonder that Lockhart didn’t get frostbite.

McGonagall was treated to a similar offer of a hair care potion that colored only the grey. She said something very rude in Scottish and returned to her porridge and tea.

The meal went on for several more minutes with most of the students keeping an eye on the high table. Suddenly, a loud ‘braaaap’ echoed around the room. Students giggled. But both Professor McGonagall and Snape reacted quite differently. McGonagall snatched a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it to her nose. She stood up, barked, “Bampot!” at Lockhart and left, Blackwatch plaid over robe snapping sharply.

Snape also covered his nose, with a specially prepared cloth that he used to protect himself from poisonous vapours created by potions accidents in his class room. “Lockhart, you foul ... I’ve not smelt worse from dunderheaded firsties failed potions.” and he followed McGonagall out the side door into the teachers’ lounge. The entire hall was amazed to hear a definite feminine giggle before the door slammed shut.

It took a few moments but the rest of the high table soon rose and left the table as well. Lockhart looked around then shrugged and helped himself to more sausages.

The entire Great Hall spent the rest of the meal either snickering or moving farther from the dais and high table at the back of the hall. Harry smirked at the twins and handed them a small bag. He told the twin, George, who took the bag, “All silver and copper this time. Less trouble for you.”

George pocketed the bag. “Thanks...”

Fred said, “we’ll make...”

“good use ...”

“Of it.”

Harry just rolled his eyes at the twin speak. It drove him nuts but he left it alone, as long as they didn’t do it when it was important. Then, he had been known to smack their heads.

Hermione sighed. She was all for the pranking, she didn’t like anyone who lied in a book, and Lockhart had lied in all of his. But, if the Twins got caught, they could get expelled. She worried.

Harry noticed her actions, of course, and asked, “Worried?”

“You know I am. What if they get expelled?”

Harry just shrugged, “I’ll pay for them to be tutored until they can pass any ... what you call ‘em?”

“NEWTS. Really?” She beamed her relief.

“Yes. Now ... tonight is the banquet and ball. Stop worrying about those two.”

Hermione just shrugged. “Ok. I want to try on my costume before time.”

Neville just smiled to himself. “Class?”

Hermione nearly gave him a heart attack by saying. “Fuck class. I can miss once in a while.”

Harry said, “You’ll get detention.”

“So? I’ll just do homework, or ignore it. No one is going to do anything more than that. Filch was the worst but he’s petrified and Snape is terrified of you.” She shoved things into her bag and headed off, calling over her shoulder. “So? What are you doing standing there like lumps? Come on.”

The two young men glanced at each other, shrugged and followed her.

.

Hon kenkyona hito wa anata ni kansha - this humble one thanks you. (Yusuke is being a total asshole)  
katagi - non-yakuza, civilians  
garutachi - not yakuza criminals, common thugs.  
Kūki to kumo - air and cloud [Yusuke’s sword]  
Kūki to kumo wa shūryō shimashita - air and cloud is finished.  
Ken no yūjin - sword friends  
Kitsuen - smoke  
Kimi o sanshō - I see you. Harry is saying that he understands what Snape is actually trying to say.  
.

Thank you to two unnamed ladies who actually took time in Aldi’s to answer my questions about tattoos. And I mean, I just walked up to the younger one and asked. Bless her and her Mom.

Also, thanks to LinkWorshiper, Purpledodah and Wishywashy, who also answered questions.

There really is something called a sword chair. They’re also called corner chairs. They’re square but with the back on two sides with C shaped cutouts to keep the swords from knocking on the back.


	19. Chapter 19

Hermione burst into her dorm and started throwing things out of her armoire. She knew, more or less, what her costume was going to look like, she’d looked through her manga collection for some pictures. She also knew the hairstyle she was going to be expected to have. Her wild, curly hair wasn’t going to cooperate without a lot of convincing; or coercion, if you will. 

Lavender looked up from her fashion magazine. “Granger, you’re dangerous. I’m glad that was only a pair of rolled up socks. What’s the panic?” she tossed the socks, which had missed her head by an inch, onto the floor and stood up.

Hermione dragged a lock of hair forward to glare at it. “My hair. It’s ... it’s ... Arrg!” She gave a little scream of frustration and threw her hands in the air. “I’m doomed!”

“Drama Queen! Please. Show me what you want.” Lavender leaned over to look at the picture. “Ok. Not that big a problem. A little color, a little Sleek-easy, and Bob’s your uncle.” Lavender picked up her wand and started work. “See, first we give it a good strong straightening spell, just like for that other do.” She flicked her wand in a quick spell. “There. Then we color it.”

“Another spell?” Hermione bit her lip. “I looked all over for a coloring spell and couldn’t find one.”

“Color takes a potion. And that helps straighten your hair even more. I would have suggested this a long time ago but the only colors are black, dark brown and that horrible bright yellow.”

“But Lockhart colors his hair with a spell, the Twins kept breaking it.” Hermione glanced at Lavender in the mirror to see her shaking her head.

“Nope! Not a spell, that is only an illusion, not a spell. There’s some sort of difference that I don’t get.” Lavender produced a box from her dresser drawer. “This is the best stuff. All you have to do is mix it. There’s a different mix in for each color. So ... which one?”

“Black, please.” Hermione sighed. “I just hope this is worth it.”

“Mmmm?” Lavender made a questioning sound as she concentrated on shaking the dye. 

“Muggle ... potions are sometimes not worth the trouble. And smelly and drippy.” Hermione made her opinion of muggle hair dye plain by scrunching up her nose and sighing.

“Now, I want to look at all the different styles, so I can figure out which one is best for your face shape.” She put the bottle down. “That has to set for five minutes on the dot. That’s one of the reasons that some dye jobs come out uneven, they get impatient and use it too soon. So ...” 

Hermione handed Lavender the 8x10 pictures she’d made by copying the line art from several manga. “I like this one. It’s called a ponytail and poof. Why, I couldn’t tell you.”

Lavender examined the chosen style and nodded. “I think that would be really pretty on you. It’s called a poof and tail, though. See, the first bit is a poof, you’ll need an appliance for that but I’ve got one. Then a simple tail. I think I’ve got some of those jewel headed pins that look so cute ...” she rummaged in her dresser. “Somewhere. And ribbons are no problem. What color are you wearing.”

“White top and crimson bottom. But ... I’m not sure my character would wear jeweled pins.” Hermione looked a bit bereft at the thought of jeweled pins for her hair. “I think a miko would probably wear simple horn or wood. And ...” She glanced up to see Lavender holding a handful of horn pins and hair sticks. The sticks looked like chopsticks with dangling tassels affixed to the ends. “Oh! Those are perfect. May I borrow them, please?” She gave Lavender a pleading look.

“And what do I get out of it?” Lavender and Hermione had finally become friendly, so teasing was understood.

“I’ve got a nice bar of chocolate.” Hermione grinned then singsonged, “It’s Honeydukes best.”

“Quarter or half pound.” 

Hermione knew that Lavender would practically hex for a half pound so she was pleased to offer. “Full pound. And it’s all yours.”

Lavender squealed, hopping around for a minute. “Yay!” She glanced at the timer on the bottle. “Oh, need to get started with this. Hold still.” She started parting Hermione’s hair to comb the dye through.

It took over an hour to do Hermione’s hair. Lavender kept up a soft chatter and worked without complaint. Parvati came in and flopped onto her bed.

“Good dye job, Lav. Um ... Potter told me to tell you that some Miko have really elaborate pins and stuff. He said that he had some for you, if you want.”

Hermione looked up from the picture she was studying. “Oh, I don’t think so. Lav is going to loan me that horn set. And some ribbons. I like the idea of my hair things matching the hakama. I hope.”

Lavender chuckled. “Granger. As if you can’t do the color changing spell.” She stepped back to eye Hermione critically. “I don’t think I missed any. Parv?”

“No misses. And ... If you’re going as a Miko, I’m wearing a sari. I am named after a goddess after all.” She got up to open her trunk and pull out a beautiful dark blue sari embroidered with gold. 

Lavender grumbled, “And I can’t go. McGonagall said. I should have a detention but there’s no one to monitor it so I’m ... Earthed.”

“You mean grounded. Muggle term. I’m so sorry.” Hermione frowned. “I’ll see if I can’t sneak you some cake or something.”

“Pumpkin pasties please.” Lavender eyed the timer built into the dye bottle. “Go rinse.”

Hermione did as she was told then came back, dripping, to have her hair straightened and styled. This took fifteen rather difficult minutes. They were almost done when a voice called, “Watashi wa koko ni!”

Hermione called back, “Made okoshi, kudasai.”

Lavender exclaimed, “Hermione, he can’t come up here!”

Hermione smirked a bit then said, “Wanna make a bet?”

Harry popped his head in the door, then announced, “The stairs bit me. I froze them. What the fuck is going on?”

“They’re spelled to keep boys out.” Parvati explained.

“Oh! Well, I’ll have to unfreeze them when I go down, then.” He held up a robe bag. “Here’s your costume. I’ll help you into it then go back to my dorm to get ready myself.” He moved farther into the room. “I’ll help you with your ...” He stopped talking when he saw Hermione’s hair. “Oh! Very nice. I don’t need to help with your hair. I do like the poof and tail. The flowers are perfect.” He made the universal twirl motion, Hermione obediently turned. “Very nice. Where did you get the pins and sticks?”

“Lav was kind enough to loan them to me. Thanks, Lav.” Hermione pulled off her pink silk bathrobe as she was speaking to reveal that she was already wearing a hadajuban.

“Excellent. I’ve got the rest of what you need. You won’t need a nagajuban as I’ve had a cheat sewn in. So haori and hakama. You don’t need anything else. Except the tabi and sandals. So ...” He smiled at her. “Let’s get started. Strip.”

Hermione’s mouth fell open. Harry grinned at her. “Gotcha.”

“Evil boy.” Hermione laughed at him then took the haori, or over kimono, that he handed her. the white garment was made of heavy silk. The sleeves fell over her hands, but that was the way they were supposed to be.

It didn’t take long for Harry to get Hermione into the simple costume. It actually took him longer to do her rather elaborate Obi than anything else. She complained that it wasn’t traditional, he replied, “Traditional and manga? What are you thinking?”

Hermione laughed, manga and anime were notorious for playing fast and loose with facts and history. “Ok, ok. I will admit that it’s very pretty. Do all my reds match?”

Lavender, Parvati and Harry all agreed that they did. After that, Harry left, calling over his shoulder, “Ok, I’m off to get myself in order.”

.

When Harry got back to the dorm Neville was already dressed in the full length monks robe, with his shawl properly knotted over one shoulder. Harry smiled when he picked up the staff and rattled his beads. “Ok?”

“Look good. I better hustle or Hermione will go down without us.” Harry took time to make sure everything was just as it should be, but he was still ready in less than thirty minutes. His high pony tail swished across his shoulders as he adjusted his swords.

Seamus swore softly. “Fuck me. You both look good. I’ll get a stick.” He grinned at Harry’s puzzled look. “I’ll need it to beat the girls off with.” He was dressed in a tunic and trews with a bow on his back. Harry gave him a confused look, so he explained, “Robin Hood. Muggle but ... different. There’s been a bit of a mutiny in the ranks.” 

Neville nodded. “And about time too.” He gave Harry a look. “I blame it all on you.”

Harry pouted at him. “Go ahead, my shoulders are broad.” he waved a hand and produced a cigarette. “Seamus, you want?” Seamus took it and dragged in a lung full.

This produced a coughing fit. “Damn! Fucking hell! Those things would make a dragon cough.” But he proceeded to take another drag, just more carefully.

Harry and Seamus finished their cigarettes at about the same time. They stubbed out the butts and Harry vanished them, then they went down to the common room.

Hermione was waiting for them there, along with Parvati. Lavender had admitted, with tears in her eyes, that missing Halloween meant more than she’d expected. She told them that she just couldn’t bear watching them go off without her.

Harry glanced around, said, “Lavender?” and waited for an explanation.

Parvati gave it with a slight pout. “She got a detention for talking out of turn in study hall. Since there’s no one to take it, she got grounded instead.”

“That seems a bit extreme for talking in study hall.” Seamus frowned his displeasure.

“It’s her fourth offense this month.” Parvati supplied. Everyone except Harry groaned, she knew better, she’d even been assigned an essay on why she shouldn’t talk in study hall, but it didn’t seem to make any difference.

Harry thought for a moment. “Well, I’m sorry she can’t seem to understand self-discipline. Too bad she has to miss the banquet and ball, but ... she knows better.” He headed for the door, saying over his shoulder, “We’ll send her up some treats. Come on. We want to be fashionably late, not so late that everyone is already seated. Seamus, I’ll make a weapon stand before I sit down. Do you want to rack your bow?”

Seamus nodded. “Please. I was wondering how to handle that.” 

.

They walked two abreast to the top landing of the entry hall. There they found that the Head Boy was standing as Chamberlain and announcing the arrivals. He looked at the small group then banged his staff on the floor.

“Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil and Seamus Finigan.”

Harry bumped him with his shoulder as he walked passed. “Name’s Miyamoto Yusuke.”

Hermione glowered at the boy along with both Neville and Seamus. Seamus added a pithy and very correct, “Suck up.” 

But they refused to allow that irritant to spoil what was looking to be a very fun evening.

Instead of the four long, house tables, the Great Hall was littered with smaller, round tables; one for each year, arranged in house groupings. This made it easier for the proctors to keep track of the students and make sure that the lower years weren’t sneaking back in for the ball. Those students would be escorted back to their houses by the head boy and girl of each house. 

This meant that the five friends were seated at a single round table along with the rest of their year mates. Harry flicked his wand, with a smirk at Hermione, and enlarged the rack he’d pulled from mallet space then altered it to hold his three swords and Seamus’ bow. They racked their weapons and sat down.

Dumbledore made some idiot rambling remarks about international cooperation, which no one listened to, then called for service. The food appeared, as it always did, but each person was served a plate. The banquet was definitely not family style, but served in courses starting with soup.

Seamus took a tentative sip of the soup and gave it a baffled look. He cleared his throat then said, “It’s nice. But, is it supposed to be ice cold?”

Harry nodded, sipping appreciatively at his own soup. “Yes, it’s Vichyssoise. It’s very good, too.”

Seamus just returned to his soup. 

Conversation flowed easily, Lockhart’s latest misadventure, Trelawny’s petrification, Flitwick’s newest lesson, it was all very social. Harry was very happy to listen, interject where he felt need and learn a few new things. He really did like Seamus.

Course followed course until the meal was finished. Then Dumbledore had another announcement. “Due to the unfortunate petrifications, there will be no more Hogsmead visits this term. If you have shopping for Christmas to do, it must be done by owl order. Any student who wishes to remain for Christmas Holidays will need to sign up on the sheet that will be posted on the bulletin board in the common rooms. Also, all precautions are to be observed. Anyone not observing the posted precautions will receive a detention with ... someone. Thank you all for your kind attention. All First, Second and Third years will now return to their Houses.”

The Fourth years all looked hopeful, they were supposed to have a date but, if Dumbledore didn’t dismiss them, they could stay for the ball. They were a year too young, according to tradition they should be within four months of their sixteenth birthday to participate in a ball. But Dumbledore was well known for flaunting tradition.

McGonagall put the end to their hopes by standing up and announcing, “Anyone who is not sixteen or within four months of their sixteenth birthday will return to their House.” She then turned and scowled at Dumbledore before muttering, “Damn it! Albus, you’ll not flout tradition while I’m here.” Dumbledore just twinkled at her. She knew he loved to make her the scapegoat for his forgetfulness and she really didn’t care. The staff and students knew who was the power behind the throne and she was going to take a firmer hand, starting now. “Also, anyone with a bully mark may return to their House at once.” Several groans greeted this but she scowled them down, barking, “Now! If you insist on being a bully, you’ll have to take the consequences. Scat!” She glowered at several Slytherins who looked like they were going to try to sneak past, they all left. As this included Draco Malfoy, she was well satisfied with herself.

The twins gave Harry a long pleased look then turned their brilliant smiles to Neville and Hermione. Harry gazed back with bland amusement while both Neville and Hermione managed expressions of such exaggerated innocence that Seamus demanded, “Ok, what gives?”

Harry just shrugged. “It seems that Hogwarts doesn’t like bullies.” He smiled in a manner that made his wakashu sweat. “I think Headmistress McGonagall is a very wise woman.”

They all stood up as the signal was given to remove the tables and chairs in preparation for the ball. The tables in the middle of the room disappeared and the rest moved to form a ring around the perimeter of the room, along with some of the chairs.

This was when they found out two things. One, they were expected to promenade, walk around the room, to display their costumes. This was not a problem as everyone had expected this. But number two was a problem. Harry didn’t dance. He even went Yusuke on Neville when he offered to teach him in the shadows of a corner.

Harry settled his swords properly, ready to promenade with Hermione. Neville would follow them, as they were a ‘set’. Then Seamus would follow with Parvati. During their promenade there was a lot of muttering and ogling, all good. Seamus held his bow in his right hand and kept Parvati on his left side. She smiled at him and whispered, “You look very nice.”

Seamus said, “Thanks, you look really nice too.” And she did. Her sari was dark blue, covered with small embroidered flowers, the hems and selvedges also heavily worked in gold thread in a pretty design of lilies and swirling geometric fill. Her short, midriff baring blouse was a shimmering silk a shade lighter than the sari. She was also decked out in part of her dowery. The gold rings, bracelets, necklaces, ankle bracelets, nose ring, ear rings and hair ornaments sparkled in the light of the floating candles. 

She thought Seamus looked very fine in his trews and tunic. The trews were dark snuff brown while the tunic was a mottled green. The cross gaiters that gathered his trews into his short forester boots were dark green leather. And, while he handled the bow a bit gingerly, he did seem to know what to do with it.

Dumbledore announced, “Let the promenades begin. Minerva, if you would lead out?” 

Professor McGonagall took Professor Snape’s arm and began the festivities. She was dressed as a Lady of the Castle in Scottish finery from the 15th century. Snape was scowlingly dressed in a great kilt to mirror her garb. They made a circuit of the dance floor then began to line everyone up so that everyone would walk the room, and that everyone could see the walk. All the students cooperated happily. 

They had just finished the last promenade when disaster struck. 

Someone screamed from near the huge front doors. The sound of curses and hexes rang out.

Yusuke turned in that direction and saw several men dressed in black robes with pointed hoods, their faces covered with white masks. There was one, wearing a silver mask, who was smaller than the rest.

Hermione whispered, “No shi o tabete oroka, Yusuke.”

Yusuke whispered back, “Slip out and see if you can find where they’re coming from. Be careful! Don’t be seen. I’ll back up ...” He looked around. “Shimatta! Where the fuck is Dumbledore?”

Neville glanced around, trying to find him. Seamus just shrugged, then grumbled, “He snuck out just after the promenades started. Daft bugger was just gone.” He then turned a nearby table up on its side and dropped to his knees behind it.

Yusuke pulled his tanto from his obi and thrust it, sheath and all into Hermione’s hands. “Here. Protect yourself.” then he tossed his wakizashi to Neville. “Use it, if you can close in, otherwise, stay out of the way of those unchi.” Neville just took a place behind the table with Seamus and Hermione.

While they were talking, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape and Sprout were doing their best to both get students out of harms way and fight the intruders. Students were doing their best to create total chaos, running around, screaming and generally getting in the way of any effective defense. McGonagall barked, “Prefects! Collect yourselves! Get control! Get the students out of the Hall! Now!” This seemed to reach both seventh year Prefects and the Head Boy. They managed to collect the other prefects and get some form of evacuation underway.

The few seconds this took saw Hermione creeping out the door behind the high table, into the teacher’s lounge there and out into the school proper. Yusuke took charge of anyone near him, getting them out the same door or behind upturned tables. 

After doing the best he could with that, he turned his attention to Seamus and his bow. “Shay, you know how to use that?”

“I do. But I don’t have a good line of sight. I’m afraid I’ll miss and get friendlies. You know?” Seamus bit his lip. He was good with a bow, courtesy of an uncle who was in the SCA, but he wasn’t sure of his ability to hit a moving target.

“That’s ok. Just use it if someone unfriendly gets too close.” Yusuke nodded once then waded into combat. Deciding that his best bet was to pick off stragglers as he made his way out into the halls to find out where the Death Eaters were coming from, he pulled his katana and moved out. He just hoped his ruse of sending Hermione to look for the entry point worked, she was the only one he didn’t trust to stay out of harms way. 

He was to be disappointed at once. He saw Hermione disappear into a small alcove, so he followed her. He got held up with a couple of No shi o tabete oroka just long enough to lose Hermione.

Hermione had an idea of where the intruders were coming from, so she hurried to see if she was right. She’d seen Malfoy hanging around a tapestry of dancing trolls on the seventh floor. She was aware of the Room of Requirement due to Hogwarts; a History so she headed directly for that area. Using service corridors and hidden doors that only the house elves used, she managed to get there without too much trouble. She emerged, hair full of cobwebs, behind the tapestry of trolls and saw exactly what she’d feared, the intruders were coming from a small door opposite in one’s and two’s. She timed them and found that they were coming out at about five minute intervals. She bit at her lip, wondering if she should stay or go find help.

She was saved by a whisper from behind her. “Where are they coming from? How do we get in?”

She controlled her flinch with some effort then whispered back. “I think it’s the Room of Requirement.”

Yusuke snarled wordlessly, then said, “I was told someone was up to something, but no one could get a handle on who or what. I guess this is it. But how are they getting into the school. No apparition, no port-key, and they surely can’t fold. A floo?”

Hermione whispered back. “No, there’s only one floo in the school and it’s in the Headmaster’s office.”

Yusuke fingered his sword. “Well, fuck that shit. Kill now, figure it out later. Stay! Here!”

Hermione opened her mouth to argue but found that she was speaking to thin air. Yusuke was already in the wide corridor, sword in hand, murder in his eyes. She heard him snarl, “Who the hell makes war on children? Idiots.”

Hermione was in agreement with this comment, even though it was couched in crude Japanese. She also wondered how the Death Eaters were getting into the Room of Requirement, there was no floo in there that she was aware of and you couldn’t apparate or port-key into Hogwarts.

Yusuke took the time to eliminate, with extreme prejudice, the three men leaving the Room of Requirements. He didn’t bother to ask them any questions, logically assuming that anyone dressed in full, closed front robes with hood and bone white mask concealing their features were not friendly. After three quick stabs took care of business, Yusuke dragged the bodies into the Room of Requirement and shoved them out of the way.

He was just turning from this task when the door of an armoire opened and two men stepped out. He caught the first one by the chin and the back of his head, a quick jerk and a crack sounded out. The efficient, ruthless motion led Yusuke right to his second target. He grabbed the second man by the arm and rolled him over easily. Wizards were mostly physically soft. 

“What do you want? Where are you coming from?” Yusuke’s soft hiss made the wizard whimper quietly.

“We’re supposed to capture the school.” The man cried out as Yusuke levered his arm even higher behind his back. “Please, please. It hurts.”

“Where. Are. You. Coming. From.” each word was bitten off like they tasted bad. Yusuke hated repeating his questions.

“Borgen and Burkes. The other cabinet is there.” The Death Eater realized that he’d just signed his death warrant and whimpered.

Yusuke just snapped his neck with a quick jerk of his hands and stood up. He turned to examine the armoire.

“Yusuke, don’t do anything rash.” 

Hermione’s voice made him flinch slightly, but he replied, without looking, “I won’t. But what is this thing and how do we turn it off?”

Hermione eyed the cabinet for a moment before saying, “I think it’s a vanishing cabinet. It ... well, basically, it’s a portal. You step into one and out of another. They’re directly linked, not like a floo.”

Yusuke nodded. “I see. So ... how do we turn it off ... make it stop ... whatever?”

Hermione thought carefully about everything she’d ever read about such things. “I think ... if we destroy this one, that would do it. But ... I’m afraid I don’t know the results of that. What if it explodes or something?”

Yusuke bared his teeth in a feral snarl. “I intend to blow it up anyway. Do you know of any way to destroy it without being in the same room with it?”

Hermione’s eyes lit up. “Oh ... well, no. But ... can I do it?”

Yusuke couldn’t help laughing. “Sure. There’s nothing that says fuck you like a good explosion.”

This garnered him a slight smile and another question. “How big? What if the room won’t contain it?”

“I am damn good at what I do. That includes being sure of exactly how big the explosion is going to be.” he was forming his charge as he spoke. “I know exactly how much to use. Here, hold this.” He handed Hermione a small, black object.

Hermione examined it for a moment then said, “But, Yusuke, electronics always fail in magical areas.”

His grunt of ‘Batteries.’ made her pause for a second before letting fly with some rather colorful profanity. Yusuke just grabbed her collar a dragged her out the door.

“Here.” He took the remote back as he slammed the door, fiddled with it for a second then handed it back. “It’s armed now. Push this.”

Hermione took a second then pushed the button. There was a ‘whump’ from the room and a gush of smoke blew under the door. 

“We going back in?” Hermione wasn’t sure she wanted to.

“No. I’m not inclined to see the mess. We need to move. There’s more of those idiots out there.” He gave Hermione a very pointed look, before barking. “I’m going to do something about them. You...” He tapped the end of her nose gently with one finger. “are going somewhere safe. I’ll drag you and tie you up, if I have to.”

Hermione shook her head. “Not necessary. My Gryffindorish impulsiveness has faded and my common sense has reemerged.” She nodded to him and slipped away to head for the common room, using the hidden ways that Yusuke had shown them all.

Yusuke shook his head then returned his attention to the situation at hand. He wasn’t that startled to run right into Professor Flitwick on the stairs.

“Miyamoto-san, what are you doing?” Flitwick looked harassed and disheveled.

“My best to keep from getting killed by a bunch of no shi o tabete oroka. We at mop up yet?” 

“Yes. I’m trying to find out where they were coming from and if there are any more.” 

Yusuke smirked at the smaller man. “They were coming from a vanishing cabinet in a room ...” He gestured in the direction of the Room of Requirement. “up there.” He touched the weary professor on the arm before he could rush off. “It’s ... not there anymore. I took care of it ... with extreme prejudice. Are there any more intruders?”

“No. We took care of all of them. They’re in the hands of Aurors now. All the dead one’s show signs of ... your attentions. If you don’t mind my saying so.”

Yusuke shrugged negligently. “No. I’ll collect my bounties, in time.” he patted the gaping professor on the arm. “I don’t kill for free, or without reasonable need.” he winked, “That doesn’t mean that my idea of need is necessarily yours. Come, we both need tea.”

This brought them both back to the Great Hall. Flitwick swore in Goblin as he took in the chaos that was supposed to be an organized sanctuary. 

Professor McGonagall was not in the room. The students who were, were milling around babbling, crying and generally carrying on. Yusuke glowered around, where were the professors? He couldn’t see anyone, the only figures of authority he could see were a couple of prefects and they were as hysterical as the rest.

Flitwick just sighed. “This is not going to turn out well, no matter what we do.”

Yusuke just shrugged, “Then, since it is not my place, nor yours, to maintain control, I suggest we go elsewhere.” And with that, he walked back out the door, followed shortly by Professor Flitwick. The professor had taken one good look around the room, realized none of his Ravenclaws were there and headed for his House to check on the students who were his responsibility.

.

While all this was going on Severus Snape was actually doing what he should be doing, guarding his students. After the initial attack, in which he did his best to protect all the students, he made sure that there were no more Death Eaters in the Great Hall, then collected all the Slytherins and barricaded them into a large lecture hall down one flight from the Great Hall. And there they stayed until the all clear, with one damning and notable exception, Draco Malfoy.

When he got the all clear from Pomona Sprout, Snape led his students back to their house. He made sure that the prefects were getting the younger years to bed with the appropriate hot brick and cocoa, then he hunted Draco down like the fool he was.

He found Draco hiding in a classroom on the third floor.

“There you are! You young idiot. What the devil are you playing at?” He grabbed Draco by the scruff of his robes and gave him a shake.

“I’m doing what any true pure blood should do. Helping to protect our way of life.” Draco struggled to pull away, sounding much more like a whiny three year old than a sixteen year old.

“Oh, spare me. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. A vanishing cabinet? You are just asking to be turned inside out.” Snape had such a firm grip on Draco that his struggles were futile. “Come along. I’ll protect you as best I can. But you’d better keep your head down. Before Miyamoto knocks it off.” He gave Draco such a fierce shake that he subsided. “Come on.”

Draco vowed silently to write to his father at once and complain about his treatment, again.

.

The rest of the day, for the school, was occupied with processing; dead bodies, captured Death Eaters, irate parents, terrified students and so much more. Headmistress McGonagall, a title she now insisted on, spent most of it coping with one demand after another. As soon as she satisfied one, another was made. She managed to dump all the dead bodies onto the Aurors, simply telling Alistor Moody to deal with it, as she still had the living to deal with.

As she sorted through the things she needed to do, she realized that no one had taken charge of her Gryffindors. She rubbed her face wearily then summoned her seventh year Prefect. 

“Mr. Franklin, how is the house?” Professor McGonagall looked at her Prefect with some concern.

“Just fine, ma’am. Miyamoto just walked in, demanded tea and told everyone to shut the fuck up. He put Granger in charge and she organized everything.”

“What were you doing that Mr ... er ... Miyamoto-san had to take over?” She gave the boy a stern stare and waited for an answer.

“Well ... um ... mostly, nothing. No one was listening to me, or any of the other prefects, and we just ... um ...” He dug the toe of his shoe into the carpet, finding its pattern fascinating.

“I see. Go back to the house and do as Miyamoto-san tells you. I find myself ... disappointed. In the extreme.” She turned back to her papers with a dismissive sniff. She had another interview coming up, this time with a delegation of parents. She was going to shift them off onto the Board of Governors, let the Death Eaters on it explain how their compatriots got in, she still didn’t know. She was just glad that Moody had to deal with all the Death Eaters and bodies. She was dreading getting the list of injured and maimed students. 

Alistor Moody was not a happy Auror. He’d been brought in as oversight to straighten out this mess. Aurors had arrived, as usual; too late, too few, too stupid. He wondered if they could make nepotism a crime. Not that it would do any good for at least 50 years, the current crop of aurors were mostly useless and so damn young.

Taking a moment, he finally went to see Madam Pomfrey for triage and body counts. He didn’t make it all the way to the infirm, he was just about half way there when he was stopped by a young man who looked like he couldn’t be more than 16. His words, however proved that he wasn’t all fresh faced innocence. 

“Any bodies with sword cuts are mine. Make sure the bounty’s are paid promptly. Thank you.” 

And with that, Yusuke bowed and slipped back into the shadows, folded back to the dorm room and went back down to the Common Room to help Hermione keep control.

Auror Moody stared after him for a moment then muttered, “Creepy kid. Bounty? Damnit.” and made his way to the infirmary. He found that Madam Pomfrey had sent all the deceased to the Ministry Morgue with instructions that Headmaster Dumbledore was to be informed that he was responsible for notifying the parents of the three students who had ‘passed’. Moody was rather surprised to find that all three were wearing Death Eater robes and had been killed with a sword. They were, not that surprising when he thought about it, Slytherins.

After conferring with Madam, relaying the message to Dumbledore via his Aurors slate, and checking what of the wards he could, Senior Auror Moody left Hogwarts, just as pissed as when he’d come. Someone was going to get an ear full. And he was going to see that the bounties were paid at once.

.

While all the adults were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, Yusuke and Hermione were taking care of Gryffindor. The first thing they did was call for house elves to bring tea, hot cocoa and plates of scones, biscuits and finger sandwiches. 

Then they called all the students into the common room and took roll call. Hermione was unhappy to find that three students were missing. Yusuke took it upon himself to ask a house elf where they were. They were in the infirm. All three had minor hex injuries and would be back in the House tomorrow.

After roll, Harry sat down in one corner and motioned for Seamus and Neville to come sit with him. They came over and settled in comfortable chairs.

“How are you?” Harry looked from Seamus to Neville.

Seamus sighed, “I got at least two. They were both trying to hex a couple of second year Puffs. I’m not sure how I feel...yet.”

Harry shook his head. “You did very well. I know it had to be hard. But think of this. They were grown men who know better. They had to be real hard-core bullies or they wouldn’t even be Death Eaters. You probably saved the children from a life time of repercussions ... Yes?”

Seamus nodded. “I did think of that ... but ... still, it’s hard.”

“I never thought it would be anything but. If you don’t regret taking a life, you’re nothing but a monster.” Harry refilled Seamus’ teacup then patted his arm. “Neville?”

“I don’t think I killed anyone. I did stab one man, but I stuck him in the thigh. He was trying to hex me, so I’m not that sorry for it. I don’t think ... Shay is so much braver than I am. Really.” Neville stared into his cup.

Harry just shook his head then said gently, “You just keep thinking that, Neville.” He passed over a plate of sandwiches then gave Seamus a plate of tiny fairy cakes. “Here. Eat. You’ll feel better.”

Hermione took a cake as Harry passed the plate and took a bite. “MMmmm, nothing like a hefty jolt of sugar to steady the nerves.” Her forced light laugh took some of the edge off the two boys. Harry just managed to look indulgent rather than annoyed.

And he was annoyed, very much so. He didn’t know who had opened the cabinet but he was going to find out. And who was behind the ‘opener’; then, someone was going to suffer.

He paused as he realized that he was neglecting the real reason he was here. He’d spent enough time solidifying his position in Hogwarts, it was time to get down to business. It was time to up the pressure on the Death Eaters.  
.

Severus Snape grumbled a bit, he hadn’t found his last three students yet, but he had found Minerva. 

“Severus, I need a moment. It’s about ... Miss Granger. I do believe that her detentions were ... ill advised.” She trailed off as Severus raised his hand.

“Detentions? I don’t ...” His look of puzzlement didn’t fool his friend for a moment. He spread his hands, long fingers curved just a bit. “I seem to have forgotten to schedule any detentions. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Not at all, Severus, not at all. Do come along. I believe we deserve a cup of my special tea.” She walked away, expecting him to follow. She wasn’t disappointed.” 

.

Chapter is a bit shorter than normal but, since I’m switching gears a bit, it seemed the best place to break off.

Harry/Yusuke gets a bit nasty in the next chapter.

.

Watashi wa koko ni - I am here.  
Made okoshi kudasai - come up, please.  
No shi o tabete oroka - fools who eat death  
Shi no kami anata o kite - The god of death is coming for you  
Neville is dressed as Miroku from Inuyasha and Hermione is standard Miko with a hair do that is really called a poof and tail. A high bun with a ponytail coming out of the middle of it. Flowers and ribbons between the skull and bun and more ribbons tied around the base of the tail.


	20. Chapter 20

The next few days were filled with confusion and chaos, all classes were cancelled while the professors sorted out the mess. Many of the public areas of Hogwarts were damaged in one way or another. And the house elves were having trouble getting the blood out of the floors for some reason. And, as usual, Gilderoy Lockhart was missing. 

Harry settled in the Juku, in one of the comfortable reading chairs, to have a good think. He didn’t even look up when Hermione wandered in grumbling about canceled classes and idiots. He’d catch up to her later.

After a few more minutes, Harry went to his desk and pulled out a stack of reports. This was one of the parts of his life that he truly didn’t like, distilling all the clutter of facts, figures and details into a coherent whole. A whole that would lead him to his quarry. But he did what needed to be done to get his job done. 

Harry jumped a bit as Hermione leaned over his shoulder, like she’d done a hundred times before, to see what he was working on. 

She exclaimed, “Oh, Death Eater habits and habitat?”

“Yes, Miss Nosy, exactly. You don’t want to know what I’m going to do with this information.”

“No, I don’t. But ... you know ... I really don’t care either. If you do something nasty to one of them, it can’t be anything worse than what they’ve done, or are planning to do. So ... let me help you.” Hermione just took his notes and started looking them over. Harry let her. He was really interested in what she might come up with.

It didn’t take her long to condense his notes and the notes of his Father, Brother and Sanu Hisoka, his lawyer and Ito Ken-ichei into a plan of action that made him grin.

“Hermione, remind me never to piss you off. This is really good.” He flipped through the pages. “It’ll take me a while to do all this but ...” he snickered. “It’s going to be fun. Only one question ... why not just burn Parkinson House down?”

Hermione smoothed her robes, a sly, self-satisfied smirk on her lips. “Because the Parkinsons are house proud. If you burn it down, they’ll just rebuild; better and bigger. But, if you just really trash the place, they’ll have to clean it up. Hurts more. And a warning, next time we might just actually burn it down.”

Harry let Yusuke out a bit. “With them in it. I see.”

Hermione shivered but soldiered on. “Yes. Also, I don’t want to know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. And I don’t want to know how. But ... if it’s to do with stopping Voldy-what’s it...” She snickered slightly as she used one of Fudge’s pet names for Voldemort. “I’ll help you as much as I can. Ok?”

“Ok. Thank you. It is to do with stopping those idiots. They’re ruining our business in this country. They’re also a real threat to world peace. The Ministry trying to take over my holdings in this country just stepped up our timetable a bit. We weren’t planning to do anything with him until I was a bit older, but needs must.” He picked up the papers, tidied them and put them all into a folder. “If we’re done here?” Hermione just took the folder and put it on her desk. “I see. I have something to do on Saturday. Will you and Neville be ok, or do you need an escort?”

He didn’t jump when a voice from Neville’s desk said, “Escort.”

Hermione shrieked, clutching at her heart. “Damnit, Neville, make a noise, will you?”

Harry just smiled at Neville, he was learning well. He’d heard him come in, but Hermione hadn’t.

Neville got up and ambled over to the desk. He picked up the papers and flipped through them quickly. “Seems good to me. But there’s a few names missing.”

“No, just put off. I’m not going after the inner circle until I’ve shut down the outer ones. Not good tactics.” Harry patted Neville on the shoulder. “Thanks anyway.”

“Well, you’re welcome.” He cast a tempus as he couldn’t keep a watch. Being who he was, Neville regularly destroyed his watch. “Almost supper time. We eating in or in the Great Hall.”

“Great Hall. On a different subject; have you seen Lockhart?”

Hermione shook her head. “No. And, before you ask, Headmistress McGonagall even had Dumbledore scry for him. Seems he’s done a runner.”

Harry shook his head. “I’m pretty sure he hasn’t. But ... I just ...” He rubbed his face and sighed. He’d blocked the door to the loo that he was sure was the doorway the what-ever-it-was was getting to the school through, so he was puzzled as to how Lockhart could have been petrified. He was sure, however, that that was what had happened. He muttered, “Well, shit, I don’t have time for this shit now.” and got up.

It didn’t take him long to get to the loo in question and find out that the block on the door was gone. He checked the ofuda. It was burned to ash. “Sososo. Who? And, more importantly ... Why?” That was when he found Lockhart. “Kore wa kore wa, nan nan deshouka na? Well, damn.” He couldn’t help but poke the man in the stomach. He got no reaction. 

He decided that, since he was there and no one was looking for him, he might as well check out where the stairs he’d found behind the sinks went. Then, he’d deal with Lockhart, it wasn’t as if he was going anywhere. Or that he’d complain; after all, he’d been right there, on the floor, for about four days now.

Harry walked across the room, his soft boots making no noise on the tile floor. He took his time examining the sinks, then hissed in Parseltongue, “Open.” The grinding noise that resulted was no surprise to him. He hissed, “Steps.” as he had no intention of sliding down the filthy chute like opening unless there was no other choice. He was rewarded with steps.

He took his time about getting down the stairs, he didn’t want to run into whatever beast was down here without warning. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a deep, deep voice spoke in Parseltongue. “Who is there?”

“Miyamoto Yusuke, desu.” He felt that trying to translate his name into Parseltongue wasn’t wise. “What is your name, please?”

“I have no name. I just am. Come where I can see you.” The deep voice commanded obedience.

Harry thought about that for a moment then demanded, “And when I do?”

“I will not harm you. You are not food. No matter what that silly girl said, not food.” The deep voice sounded sad when it continued. “She lied to me.”

Harry eased down the tunnel until he saw a door. He started to tell it to open but the deep voice beat him to it. He wondered how the owner of the voice knew he was near the door. When he stepped cautiously through it, he knew. 

The basilisk looked down on him from a good 15 feet, the rest of its body was coiled neatly in the middle of the huge room. “I will not harm you. I am hungry, but ... I will not eat human prey. It is forbidden.”

“Then why did you petrify them?” Harry was nothing if not pragmatic. The beast was obviously not interested in eating him or he’d already be digesting, so he just got on with things.

“I did not intend to, they all saw a reflection of my unshielded gaze in some reflective surface. That silly, worthless girl ... but you are neither silly nor useless. What do you intend?” The basilisk was ancient and also pragmatic. He wanted out of Hogwarts. He wanted a good hunting ground. He was tired of dark and cold and hunger. So he would make a deal with the small human or find another who would deal. He was confused by the changes he didn’t understand. He wasn’t even supposed to be awake. He’d looked for the threat to the school and found none. He’d looked for Master Slytherin and not found him. The few that he’d petrified on the command of the girl had proved to be just children, not dangerous warriors, so he would not obey her anymore. Never mind that she possessed Slytherin’s code words. 

So the Basilisk told his story to the small human. Harry listened to the story and the complaints. “So, if I can get you out of here, you will trade venom, shed scales, skin and blood for protection from poachers, good hunting and a nest?”

“Yes. But how to get me out of here is beyond my comprehension. All the exits are either blocked by a collapse or some other obstacle.” He swayed his head back and forth in agitation.

“Calm, calm, my friend. I have to get in touch with my father. I know of several islands near my home that would be good. I just have to get his permission before I make a promise that he would dislike. Yes?”

“Very well, I will wait here. But only for ... five days. That should be enough time for you to make your arrangements. What should I do if that silly girl comes back?”

Harry’s reply was easy, quick and firm. “Eat her, if you like. Petrify her, if you don’t.”

“As you wish. I think I like you. Hurry, I have few reserves of strength left. I am too hungry.” The Basilisk sounded so sad that Harry felt sorry for it.

“I wonder ... would you like me to bring you something?” He was quite prepared to bring in something, he could easily fold in a cow.

“If you can, that would be a great beginning to our relationship. And it would enable me to better control myself.” The Basilisk darted his head in Harrys direction.

He didn’t flinch back, there was no use, the basilisk was too fast to escape. Harry noticed that the huge snake like creature had not only eyelids but nictitating membranes. He wondered if this was how he petrified instead of killing, then decided that all questions could wait until later. Or never.

“I’ll go get you what I can. I’m going to fold away, it’s different from apparition so I can do this, even in Hogwarts. Wait.” And with that, he folded away to a nearby farm. 

The farm was owned by a rather annoying family of Death Eaters named Hensen. They were low level and on his, to be dealt with list, so this made a good start. He reconnoitered then folded to Ken No Ie to collect a few men to help him steal all the livestock they could in one raid.

He ambled into the lounge, saying, “Ok, assholes, here’s the thing. I found out what is fucking around up at Hogwarts. It’s a huge basilisk. Old, intelligent and very hungry.” before anyone could say anything, he held up a hand. “Shut up! I know what you’re going to say and we’re not. If we kill it, we get one good haul. But, it wants to leave and will make a deal. So you,” he pointed at Sanu Hisoka. “go tell Chichi-ue about this. I’ll fill him in on details as soon as I have them. But it wants an island, and so do we. Keep it contained and happy. Ask him to find one for it. We need to move fast though.” he waived a hand and Sanu-san disappeared to floo to Japan, he wasn’t good at folding yet. “So, the rest of you jerks come on.” He folded away to the farm, leaving a magical trail that the others could follow.

When his group had gathered silently around him, he nodded his approval. He kept his voice low, even though he’d cast a silencing spell, you could never be too careful on this sort of raid. “We want anything fairly large, cows, pigs, sheep. No chickens, geese; that sort of thing, although goats? Not sure. Just make it fast and keep quiet as you can. Move. Now.” 

After giving his instructions, he grabbed a cow by one horn and folded to the Chamber of Secrets, again leaving a trail for his men. This was the other reason he liked folding more than any other form of travel. He could leave a trail for his men but anyone else couldn’t follow.

.

When he reached the Chamber of Secrets, Harry was pleased to see that the basilisk had moved to the back of the chamber, giving them plenty of room. He waited until the first man folded in. He was pleased to see that the men quickly left their burden and moved to the area nearest the door. 

When they had all dropped off their burden of choice, Harry called, “Basilisk! Awaken! Come, eat.”

The huge head that rose from what looked like decorative carving made all his men gasp in wonder. “Yes? You brought me food?”

“Yes. I promised. Eat as much as you like. If this is not enough, we can bring more.” Harry watched with an indulgent expression on his face. 

The basilisk hissed, “Have all your people turn their backs.”

Harry relayed the order and turned his own back. They listened as the noise of the clamoring animals died then the strange sounds of the basilisk swallowing things like cows and sheep whole.

When the sounds stopped Harry asked if he could turn back around. 

“Yes, turn. I am still hungry, but I do not feel as if I’m starving. I could eat seven or eight more cows. The sheep were good, but I prefer them shorn. Not that I’m complaining.” 

Harry laughed softly. “Yes, great one, I would imagine the wool is not that tasty. I’ll have my men bring you more. Do you like geese?”

“Bah, what would I want with those noisy creatures. And all those feathers, they give me gas.” 

Harry translated this for his men and they all had a laugh. Then Harry got down to business. “Great one, I have sent a message to my father. As soon as I hear from him, I will tell you what arrangements I have been able to make. We will then ...”

The basilisk interrupted him. “Whatever arrangements you can make have to be better than being trapped down here. You may take all the books and ... things that my old master left. In exchange, you will find me a home. I will give you shed scales, shed skin, some venom and allow you to draw my blood, just as my old master did. This should pay for the animals I will need once I have hunted out my territory.” He gave Harry a one eyed, grumpy look. “I am very old but my hearing is still excellent.”

Harry glanced around, then demanded, “Who was speaking out of turn? Come forward at once. If I have to hunt you down, you will not like the results.”

Several men stepped away from another. One man pointed to the one who had been ostracized. “He is the loud mouth. I told him to shut it.”

Yusuke looked from the group to the now sullen faced single man. “So. Explanation?”

“None, Miyamoto-san.” The man pulled himself up tall and faced his doom.

“I see.” Knowing that this was the make it or break it for this gumi, he glanced at each man.

None of them wanted to look at him, but he was fairly good at judging reactions. He thought for a moment then said, “You know you deserve a punishment, but I do not wish to punish you too harshly. You did quiet yourself when told.” He pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought. “So, here is your punishment. You are not to speak for one week, except for true necessity. Everyone here will see that you do not. Do you understand?”

The man just bowed deeply, nodding his head. 

Yusuke looked at him for a moment. “Good, good. Now, bring my friend as many more cows as you can find from the people on the list. Go.”

After he’d seen his men off, Harry went up to his dorm room to check his mail box. He was pleased to find a letter from his father detailing exactly what they were going to do about his discovery. 

Yusuke laughed heartily as he realized what a panic this was going to cause. He decided to warn Neville and Hermione, but no one else.

.

It took two days to get all the arrangements made. Then, when he got the go ahead from Musashi-san, Yusuke pulled out all the stops. He intended to do this with all the pomp and ceremony he could manage; and, being a Yakuza and the Oojisama of his Ninkyo-dantai, he could manage quite a bit.

The whole school was a-buzz with excitement when they saw the entire kazuko from the main compound marching up the path to Hogwarts main doors. They were all dressed in their best suits, and they were armed with AR-15 assault rifles; not that that made any sense at all to the wizards and witches who saw them.

They entered the school without fanfare and made a double line from the second floor girls loo straight to the front doors and out through the front courtyard. The line continued, not to the front gates but into the front lawn, where it ended in a circle just outside the wards. 

Harry parted from his father, after greeting him with a deep bow, and went to summon the basilisk. He noticed a small, pale firsty hovering at the door, biting at her lip. He motioned with his head and ordered a man, “Grab that one and keep hold of her. Bring her with us.”

The yakuza did as he was told, snatching up the girl without much fuss. She seemed confused and Harry thought she might be confunded. She surrendered without so much as a squeak, clutching her diary to her chest.

Harry opened the sinks, called the basilisk, thought ‘I have to give him a name.’ and stepped back to give him room to maneuver. He listened carefully and heard the deep, deep voice calling, “Coming.”

Harry called back, “Please remember to shield your eyes. We don’t want any accidents.”

The reply of, “I suppose an on purpose is fine?” made Harry snicker. 

When the huge head emerged from the open tunnel, Harry bowed carefully. His father had had research done and found out the proper way to handle a basilisk. “Please, follow me. We have a port-key to take you to your new home, but it won’t work within the castle. There is an honor guard, just stay between the lines of men. We’ll keep anyone of any consequence from annoying you.”

“As you wish.” The basilisk eased out of the hole, coiling up in the main area of the loo. “I am prepared, are you?”

Harry gave a rather nasty laugh and said, “I am. We will go now.” He walked out the door of the loo and into chaos.

Every student in the school, all the professors and anyone else in the huge building was gathered behind the standing dansei, who were blocking them from standing in the middle of the corridors and gawking like geese. The second the basilisk emerged from the loo the lot of them panicked or went crazy. 

Those who panicked all tried to run away; back to their House, into a ‘safe’ classroom or back to the Great Hall. Those who went crazy tried to get closer to the huge snake. It took all the moves the Yakuza had to keep some sort of order. But the final peg in the box was simply the massive presence of the Basilisk.

Without using his paralyzing gaze, he still froze everyone in place, simply by being. Harry led him out between the ranks of dansei and goggling students. He hadn’t forgotten about the staff, he just wasn’t worried about them.

The staff was about equally divided between those who’d hurried off ‘to protect the students’ and those who’d stayed to see what was actually going on.

Harry wasn’t a bit surprised to see that Headmistress McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra had stayed. He didn’t see Snape but hadn’t expected to. The Slytherins were all, or mostly, smart enough to stay out of the path of a basilisk and Snape would stay in the House to keep order there. 

So it was with all due pomp and ceremony that Harry led the basilisk out of the loo, down the long corridors and into the main entry hall, just outside the huge doors of the Great Hall. There they ran into a small snag, named Lucius Malfoy. Along with another even smaller snag, in the form of Draco. 

Harry just smiled at them, sent for his father and waited. 

Headmistress McGonagall asked, “Is that great beastie going to cause trouble?”

“He doesn’t intend to, but if someone is crazy-stupid enough to try to be a hero and hex him. Well, if they get eaten, I don’t want to hear about it.” Harry smirked at her and she just smiled serenely back.

“Well, then. I’m satisfied.” She couldn’t help a quick peek at the huge reptile.

Harry nodded to her then said to the basilisk. “This is the head lady of the school. She is worried that something bad will happen. Someone might decide to be a hero and hex you.”

The basilisk dipped his head to the elderly lady. “Madam.” He turned his shuttered gaze to Harry. “As to being hexed. Do you truly believe that anyone currently in this school could do me damage?”

“No, but I do not wish your temper to be tried.” He realized that speaking Parsletongue was making everyone around him, except his dansei, nervous but he really didn’t give a shit. The basilisk was more important right now.

The Father and Son Malfoy duo chose this particular moment to intrude themselves. 

Lucius drawled, “I’ll take that creature off your hands.”

Draco just looked smug.

Yusuke smiled, “Ah, Malfoy-dono. I’m so sorry. I am afraid that that will not be possible. Chichi-ue would not approve.” He smiled in a way that made Lucius wonder what he’d stepped in now. “However, please feel free to discuss it with him.”

It didn’t take long for one of the dansei to run for Musashi-sama. 

While this was going on, Harry continued on with the Basilisk, despite Malfoy, Sr and Jr., protesting loudly. All Harry said was, “Try to stop us. Please.” Both Malfoy’s decided that it was the better part of valor to wait the arrival of the Oyabun. They both watched in disgust as the basilisk was led to the circle of dansei and senior Yakuza, then transported away.

The rest of the school cheered happily as they saw the threat to their health and safety disappear. They didn’t care that it was probably worth as much, in potion ingredients, as the whole of Hogwarts. They were just happy to see it gone.

As the yakuza formed up and ambled away, Musashi-sama came to speak with Malfoy, Sr. 

His translator stood to one side of Musashi-sama and fixed his gaze on a spot about three inches to the left of Malfoy’s head. “So. You wish to discus something? Yes?” Lucius, totally disconcerted by the way the translator shouted at him without looking at him, while Musashi-sama stared right into his eyes, just nodded. “So. We will walk.” And with that both the translator and Musashi-sama walked away.

Lucius followed quickly, with Draco trailing after. Musashi-sama, not in the mood to deal with a sulky, spoiled idiot, motioned to him and snapped at Yusuke, “Deal with him.”

Yusuke just bowed and said, “Hai, Musashi-sama. It shall be as you wish.” Malfoy Jr. gave him a nasty look at the humble Japanese words but followed when motioned away.

Yusuke turned to look at Draco. “You will walk with me. I have a feeling you know a great deal more about the invasion than you’re telling. I will have the truth. Come.”

Draco bristled at the accusation. “How dare you? I’ll have you know that ...”

Yusuke got right in Draco’s face, shutting his rant down before it got started. “I dare because I dare. You are a very small fish in a very big pond, be careful that a shark doesn’t eat you.” Yusuke’s look warned that he considered himself one of the sharks. 

Draco yelped indignantly as Yusuke grabbed his right biceps and dragged him into an unused class room. The reason it was unused was evident the second they entered. The room was under the main staircase. It only had one small window, high up on the narrow back wall. And the ceiling slanted oddly, going from nearly fifteen feet at the front to barely eight with the door on the long wall at that end. This resulted in a room that was shaped like a wedge from floor to ceiling and front to back. 

Yusuke barked something at one of the dansei. This man planted himself firmly in front of the door and glowered at Headmistress McGonagall as she approached. 

HM McGonagall, for her part was still trying to process. She decided that the removal of the basilisk was a good thing and not her business. If the board of governors or Dumbledore chose to object, they could take it up with Mr. Miyamoto. She did, however, wish to avoid the outcry that would result from Harry killing Draco. 

She held up a hand to stop the yakuza from speaking. “No, not a word. Just tell Yusuke not to kill that idiot. I don’t want the agro. Yes?”

The dansei smiled, revealing a gold tooth. “Hai. Not kill.” He smirked. “Just talk.”

“See that that is all that is done.” The Scot came out in her. “Unless the young lord decides to apply a bit of ... education. It’s not called the seat of learning for nothing. Yes?”

The yakuza, who understood English better than he spoke it, just laughed and nodded. “Hai. This is so.”

The professor nodded back and walked away to deal with hysterical people and sort out the mess -- again.

.

While McGonagall was speaking to the guard, Yusuke was making his displeasure known to Draco.

“You little shit! You do not bring war into a school. If you thought you were gaining face by that particular piece of stupidity, you are very wrong. You’re nothing but a child.” Yusuke shook Draco like a two-year-old.

Draco managed to get out of Yusuke’s hold, and shouted in his face, “You don’t understand. Muggle-born Mudbloods and Halfbloods are destroying our world. They have to be gotten out of Hogwarts before our way of life disappears. The Dark Lord just wants to protect us all from ... from.”

Yusuke’s sneer finally caught his attention. “From what? You’re more likely to expose the magical world by allowing him to continue. Someone is going to catch on soon. All those attacks on non-magical people with no explanation of how they were carried out ... other than magic? Have you lost what wit you were born with? There’s only so much that can be explained by gas main explosions, sink holes and mass obliviations. Nanashi is rapidly reaching saturation point. “

Draco gaped for a moment, then stammered, “Then ... then ... what is he doing? I don’t ... he can’t .. but, Father said.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake. You’re too stupid to be out without a keeper. Your Father is just as much a fool as Nanashi. There’s no way that his vision can be achieved. The muggle world will not allow it.”

Draco, in his ignorant arrogance, demanded, “And how can a bunch of helpless, magicless muggles stop us?”

Yusuke just snarled, grabbed Draco by the back of the neck and folded off to his private firing range.

Draco stumbled upon arrival and Yusuke had a full auto SCAR 16S assault rifle in his hands by the time Draco recovered. 

Draco sneered, “Muggle gums don’t scare me. One bang and it’s all over for you. I’ve got unlimited hexes at my disposal.”

Yusuke just smirked, turned and rained hell down upon his targets, life sized ballistic jell dummies that were kept set up for his dansei to practice on. They dissolved under his fire, he dropped the first magazine and slapped in another. That one emptied as well.

Yusuke turned to a stunned Draco and said, “And there’s no magical shield that I know of that will turn a bullet. Get with the real program or die. I know you managed that trick with the vanishing cabinet, I don’t know how, but I know you did it. And I’m telling you right now. One more trick out of you and you’re going to wake up with a terminal case of lead poisoning.” He got right up in Draco’s face, grabbed him by the throat and snarled, “Do you understand me?”

Draco gulped, nodded and realized that he’d pissed himself - again. 

Yusuke made a face, turned to one of his men and said, “Take him, clean him up and return him. Go.” He shoved Draco into a stumbling run in the gaki’s direction.

The gaki made a face but took Draco by the arm and led, read dragged, him away. Yusuke called after, “And return him to Hogwarts when you’re done.”

.

While Yusuke was terrorizing Draco, his father was doing much the same to Lucius. Only a lot more politely. 

He started out by saying, “Our sons are so very different, don’t you think? Mine is elegant, subtile, obedient and smart. Yours ... is not. Unfortunate.”

Lucius puffed up in indignation. “I’ll have you to know that my son is everything he should be.”

“Ah! A societal decoration, then? Stupid breeding stock? You have a bastard that is to be the manager, while your biological son keeps up appearances, so that when your Dark Lord kills Draco, or the Ministry has him locked up, you still have someone to carry on the blood? I see. I’ll look into that as well.” He gave Lucius a look that made him shiver. “Yes. I do know a great deal about all this. Your ‘Lord’ has an agenda. Not a smart one either. I’ll send you some literature. Read it carefully. And do remember ... I have eyes and ears everywhere, and I will know if you are careless. Your son is also very vulnerable. My son is dutiful and will do exactly as I say.” Musashi-sama gave Lucius a warning look. “He is very well trained in all the ways of ninjado, as well as bushido.” At Lucius’ blank look he motioned to the translator and said in Japanese, “Do not translate this. Explain Ninjado to him, as well as Bushido. Make it short. I will walk ahead.”

Instead of just those explanations, the translator took it upon himself to spend twenty minutes explaining Yakuza, Ninjado, and Bushido; in context, with examples. Lucius found himself wondering how he was still alive. 

And then Miyamoto Musashi pounced. “So now you understand?”

Lucius gave a rather distracted nod, he was actually trying to figure out how to extract himself and his son from the ranks of Death Eaters without his compatriots coming after him. “Yes, I understand. I’ll speak to Draco. But ... that basilisk is worth a fortune. What do you intend to do with it. After all, as a member of the Board of Governors, I have to watch out for Hogwarts interests. You do understand?”

“Yes, I understand. We will walk while we discuss this. A deal can be made. Yes?”

Lucius fell in beside his opposite number. “Yes.”

With that, Lucius Malfoy made one of the worst decisions of his life. One he was to regret to the end of his days, but it saved his family. He made a deal with the devil, in the guise of Miyamoto Musashi. No one except the translator would ever know exactly what was said between the two men; but, when they returned from their walk, Lucius was pale and shaking while Musashi-sama had a very satisfied smile on his lips. His last words were, “If you fail me, I’ll be very displeased.”

Lucius bowed, too low and too long, then said, “I will not fail you. I swear it by my son’s life.”

Draco, who had just been returned, gasped, turned pale himself then stormed off in a snit.

.

It was then that Draco realized the true depth of the trouble he was in. His father had staked his life on a bargain. One he knew nothing of. He was not the treasured, golden child. He was a pawn, and not, it seemed, a very valuable one. He was mistaken in that, but that didn’t help him much.

He managed to get back to Slytherin house in time to keep anyone from seeing his break down. He vowed to get revenge on the one he thought of as being at fault. Miyamoto Yusuke would suffer. But he was wise enough to know that any further dealings with any adult Death Eater would be severely punished by his father. The dressing down he’d gotten when Lucius had found out about his little ‘adventure’ with the vanishing cabinet had been ferocious. He was informed, quite firmly, that any further contact with his Aunt Bella was not to be contemplated. He felt thoroughly humiliated. 

This humiliation resulted in his beginning to plan his perfect coup. 

.

As for the basilisk, he was extremely happy. He’d made a deal for venom, scales, shed skin, and harvested blood that would benefit everyone involved. The proceeds would feed him in grand style for the rest of his very long life.

The island he’d been brought to was called Ryokutō, Green island, it was a very small island in the Nansei chain, part of the Kusagaki group . It was very green, covered with tropical vegetation which included fruit trees. And rampant with wild hogs, cattle and oxen. He liked it. 

And, just as good, he had a name again. He didn’t know that Nenchō-sha hebi meant Elder Snake, and wouldn’t have cared if he did. One of the older Gaki was a parseltongue, borrowed permanently from a different gumi. This man spent the rest of his days on the island, with appropriate vacations, keeping track of the huge reptile’s needs. They gossiped even. And the Yamaguchi-gumi became even richer and more respected than ever.

.

After some discussion with his father, Yusuke agreed that it was time to ramp up the pressure on Nanashi. He was given a list of names and told to ‘discuss’ things with them. The LeStrange brothers were first on the list.

His instructions to his men were simple, find them, follow them, learn everything there was to know about them. A proper analysis of the home wards was vital. After giving his instructions, he wandered off to his common room to relax, completely forgetting Lockhart. Luckily, for Lockhart, the Head Boy found him and took him to Madam Pomfrey.

None of the petrification victims would be awake until the mandrake root could be harvested. That would be after Christmas. Harry still couldn’t believe that Dumbledore had turned down his offer. It irritated him.

He finally shrugged it all off as not important enough to be upset about. He took himself up to the dorm and settled at his private desk to finish up some reports and an essay. Schooling didn’t stop, no matter the excitement. He wondered if Hermione and Neville were in the Juku but dismissed the thought as unimportant. If anything was wrong someone would tell him. When he was finished with homework he had a raid to plan.  
.

When he was done planning, it took Harry about an hour to fold to Ken No Ie, get his equipment and arms and find the floor plan of the establishment he intended to visit. Borgin and Burkes was in big trouble.

Most of what he brought with him, no wizard would recognize. He was well aware that any magic left two signatures, one of what spell was used, and another that would identify the caster. You only had to know how to read the signs. He was sure that the Aurors, no matter how inept, could do at least that much.

So, he brought several bags, a large jerry can and a flare gun. He folded into Knockturn Alley, right in front of the store. It was the work of a moment to pick the lock. Alohomora would leave traces but old fashioned lock picks would not. At least, not ones that the Aurors would recognize. 

He spent quite some time riffling through the shop, taking what pleased him and stuffing it into one of the duffles he had brought with him. When one was full, he activated the ofuda that caused it to transport itself to Ken No Ie, where his men would sort through it more carefully and store his booty away until it was needed. He was disgusted at some of the things he rejected, including the companion vanishing cabinet. He recognized that right away. 

After he was sure he had everything he wanted, he cast very careful, comprehensive containment spells all around the shop. Then he poured the contents of the jerry can in an irregular circle as near to the outer walls as he could. He finished by pouring what was left down the main aisles. 

He waited a bit to let the fumes build up then shot the flare into the midst of the shop. The fire that resulted would burn that single building to the ground.

Yusuke watched for a bit then went to check out a few places in Knockturn Alley. 

Seconds after he set the fire he was in the nearby inn. 

“Ale.” He dropped three knuts on the bar and accepted the pint. As this was the wizarding world, where the only requirement to buy liquor was to be able to see over the bar, and not be prohibited by parents, he got what he asked for. 

After swallowing half of it in three gulps, he turned to examine the room. He noticed a definite lack of a certain sort. This did not please him at all. He wanted to know where this sort was. He was looking for the ignorant, mean, poor sort that made good cannon fodder. Not that he especially needed their sort, he just needed to know that Voldemort hadn’t hired them, coerced them, or tricked them into joining him.

The bartender noticed the direction of his gaze and told him, “If you’re looking for muscle, there’s not much to choose from. Some new guy has hired a lot of the smarter ones, He-who-must-not-be-named has hired most of the dumber ones and the really smart ones have dug a hole and crawled into it. You won’t see them until this mess with Him is over.”

Yusuke nodded. “I see. Most of the really smart ones have gone to France, then?” or they were working for him, but he didn’t say that.

“That’s right.” just then the fire in B&B became noticeable. “Holy shit! Fire!”

Most of the people in the bar rushed out to watch the fire. None of them could be bothered to put it out. That wasn’t the way their minds worked, if the fire suppressant charms didn’t work, what were they supposed to do about a fire. 

Yusuke ambled out to watch the fun, mumbling, “Aquamenti, anyone? No? Didn’t think so.” He enjoyed the pretty colors as potions, unusual powders and hexed or charmed objects added color to the flames. When he was sure the place was beyond redemption, he folded back to Hogwarts, where Hermione pounced on him.

“Yusuke! Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over for you. You almost missed curfew.” She tugged at him. “Come on. We have to find Neville, he’s looking for you.”

Yusuke just summoned a house elf. “Please find Neville-kun and bring him back here.” The elf popped away, to return a few seconds later with Neville.

Neville thanked the elf, who disappeared with another soft pop. “Ok, Yusuke-kun, where have you been?”

Yusuke smirked, pulled a cigaret out of thin air and puffed for a second. “You do not want to know.” He exhaled through his nostrils, looking alarmingly like a dragon to the magicals.

Hermione sniffed at him. “You smell like smoke and ... petrol?” She shook her head, dislodging a few tendrils of hair from her careful French braid. “I do not want to know. Definitely.” She glanced at Neville who had his mouth open to ask what might turn out to be a very indiscreet questions. “No! Neville, you do not want to know. Believe me.”

Neville blinked for a moment then exclaimed, “Oh! Oh, no, I’m sure I don’t. How about those Kestrels.” 

Harry snickered, remembering his discussion of baseball with Neville, including the explanation of the Mets and the American way of changing a subject.

“Yes, they are flying very well this season, are they not?” He settled elegantly on a nearby couch, flicking a hand to remove the stench of petrol, smoke and bar that still clung to his clothing. He was going to have to remember how sensitive Hermione’s nose was.

They visited for the rest of the evening. In plain sight of most of the common room.  
.

Kore wa kore wa, nan nan deshouka na? - Well well, what is this then?

Mini-rant. 

I have noticed a distressing trend in modern writers. That of excessive verbiage and/or modifiers. Tiny little comes to mind. Do NOT use two words together to modify a subject when each word is in the definition of the other.

And the use of fellow with a word that implies ‘fellowship’ As in fellow compatriots, or fellow classmates, fellow co-workers, etc.


	21. Chapter 21

This story now skips from just after Halloween to just before Christmas. Just so you can keep track. *g*

.

Hermione sighed, Yusuke was going to throw a major fit. Someone had signed him up to stay over for Christmas Holls. She was well aware that he was planning to return to Japan for the three week break. He’d even spent extra time in the Juku to make sure all his homework was done ahead so he wouldn’t have to do it while he was home.

Just as Hermione was turning away from the bulletin board, Yusuke stepped up behind her. It only took him a second to read the ‘stay in Hogwarts’ list. She was very surprised when he didn’t have the expected fit. Instead, he just grunted and walked off. 

“Well, that was unexpected.” 

Neville, who was seated near by just sighed and rubbed his face. “No, it wasn’t. Yusuke is going to take extreme insult at that stay list. That means that he’s not going to throw a fit. He’s going to do something really evil.” Neville wondered idly, if he should run and hide, or stay around for the show.

Yusuke didn’t bother with being polite, he just dumped his book bag by his desk, grabbed a piece of paper and dashed off a quick note to his father. Then he headed for Headmistress McGonagall’s office. 

A quick knock and a call of ‘Come in.’ saw Yusuke seated in front of his head of house’s desk. 

“Professor Headmistress McGonagall, I come to you as my head of house to ask you why my name was put on the list of those staying for Christmas. I do not have any intention of staying here. I will go home. My Godfather Black and another friend of my parents, Remus Lupin, are in Japan and waiting to meet me. So, again, I ask, who is the fool who has done this?” It was all he could do to keep his temper under control.

Minerva McGonagall was a patient woman, she had to be with the job she held; but this was too much. “I know who did it. Against my advice, I will add. You go where ever you want for Christmas. I’ll handle Mr. Buttinsky Dumbledore. The owd numpty is a half bubble off plumb. I’ll skelp ‘im.”

Yusuke listened with interest as her Scottish got thick and her idioms more incomprehensible. He left with the phrase, “owd scunner” and laughed all the way back to the house.

He sat down to send another note, well pleased with himself. He had known that no one could keep him in Hogwarts if he didn’t want to stay, but Dumbledore was beginning to really get on his nerves. His interference with the mail had escalated to trying to imprison poor Hedwig in the owlery, regardless of the fact that the only letters she carried now were for Neville, Hermione and owl orders for all three of them. He’d promptly sent her to Japan via one of his gaki. Musashi-sama had sent back a note to Dumbledore, instructing him that any interference with the Oojisama’s post box would be taken as an insult. Another letter from the Ministry said basically the same thing.

Now, Dumbledore was interfering again. Trying to keep him here, instead of letting him go home to Japan. Yusuke didn’t see the reasoning. Why antagonize someone then ask, nay demand, a favor. He shrugged, mentally, and slipped down the stairs to see what he could find out from the prefects.

On the way he thought about his last confrontation with Dumbledore. Shortly after the basilisk had been removed to Japan.

[flash back ]

He paused by the infirmary door as he heard raised voices, one of them Madam Pomfrey. The other one he didn’t recognize. Then a third voice entered the conversation.

“I don’t care what you say. Oojisama said to keep my hand on her, so I will. He’ll come tell us what’s going on when he comes.” 

Yusuke strode into the infirmary and took charge. “What is going on here?”

He was deafened by babble. Everyone started talking at once. 

“Yamatte!!” Everyone shut up at once. The gaki, because he understood Yusuke. The rest, because they didn’t. 

“Good. Now ... You first.” He turned to Madam Pomfrey. “Talk to me.”

Madam took a deep breath then explained. “Your man brought Miss Pelham to me because she is unresponsive. No sign of any trauma. No blow to the head, abdomen or back. No hex, curse or even a jinx. But she won’t respond. I want to send her to St. Mungo’s.” she turned to glower at Dumbledore. “He wants to keep her here.”

Harry turned to his man next. “Speak.”

“I did as you told me to. I picked up the child to bring her with us. She dropped her book. When she did that, she got very upset, started to cry then went silent. She hasn’t spoken since.” The gaki bowed and fell silent.

“Book? What happened to the book?” Harry had a very bad feeling about that book. 

Dumbledore perked up at the mention of a book. Books were generally good things.

Madam Pomfrey looked from one man to the other. She was just glad that Harry was speaking English, even if the other man wasn’t. 

The gaki produced the book from his pocket. “Here it is.” He presented it to Harry with a profound bow.

Harry took it and examined it quickly, easily shouldering Dumbledore’s reach away. “No, you do not want it.”

“My dear Harry, I must insist that you allow me to examine that book. Who knows what information might be contained within.” Dumbledore tried his disappointed grandfather look on Harry.

All he got for his troubles was a battery of disgusted looks. Madam Pomfrey even sniffed. 

Yusuke glanced absently at the gaki. “Contain him.” a head jerk indicated which ‘him’ he was speaking of.

All this time the last person in the room had remained silent, now Mr Pelham asked, “Do you know what is wrong with my daughter? Dumbledore is full of empty reassurances and very little in the way of facts.” He cast a furious glower at the Headmaster, who gave him back one of his annoying, twinkly benign smiles.

Harry opened the book and muttered, “Kūhaku?Deshou ka? Īe chosakumasen?” He pulled a self inking brush out of his pocket and wrote on the first page. What happened in return made him nearly drop the book.

The page absorbed his writing and , “I don’t understand this writing. Do you write English?” appeared instead. 

Yusuke threw the book on the floor, snarling, “Tamashī no bin!” 

Dumbledore demanded, “What did it do? What is going on?”

“It wrote back to me. There’s only one thing that could do that.” Yusuke thought for a moment. “Actually two, but this is not a two way journal. It doesn’t feel right. And, if it was one, there would be no reason for the young lady to ... be the way she is. This is a very bad thing.” Yusuke held his hand over the book, careful not to actually touch it.

The gaki had a firm grip on Dumbledore, who was absently pulling on his arm. “Be careful! If that is what I think it is, it must be destroyed at once.” Dumbledore swatted at the gaki. “Let go.”

Yusuke nodded to the gaki. “Let him go.” he met the man’s eyes for a moment. “Good job.”

Dumbledore cast several spells over the book, waving his wand and gesturing dramatically. Yusuke thought he looked very much like Lockhart. 

While Dumbledore was putting on his show, Yusuke explained what was going on to Mr Pelham. Madam Pomfrey understood exactly what had happened when Yusuke explained what a soul bottle was. 

She gasped, “She’s been possessed by a ...” She frowned as she searched for the elusive information. “We have to get her to St. Mungo’s.”

Yusuke gestured to the gaki. “Can you take three people?”

“No, Oojisama, I’m sorry. I could take the girl.” he nodded to the two adults. “Then there would be no reason to keep them from going where they will.”

Yusuke glanced at Madam Pomfrey then examined the girl. “Is it safe?”

“Yes. She’s just unresponsive. All her vitals are good. Take her, before Albus realizes what we’re doing.” She was tired of Dumbledore interfering in her work. He’d done this before, forcing her to stretch her abilities to the limit. 

Yusuke nodded to the gaki, saying in Japanese, “Go quickly. Take the papers from the lady healer.”

Madam Pomfrey held out a file. “Here! Her chart and records.” 

The gaki took the slender file, folded in half long way and tucked it into his waist band in back. He then picked up Miss Pelham and folded away. 

Dumbledore didn’t even notice. He’d completely forgotten the young girl in his fascination over the book. He didn’t notice when Mr Pelham left either.

Yusuke let the Headmaster fiddle a bit more then he took care of things, just like he always did. 

With a careful bow, Yusuke edged Dumbledore away from the book, still resting on the floor. He held his hand over it again, examining the spells it contained. 

What he found disgusted him. “This was made with the murder of an innocent. It contains a ... scrap of soul, if you will.”

Dumbledore tisked softly. “Yes, exactly. I must take it away for study.”

Yusuke ignored him completely. Instead of obeying the unspoken command to leave, he took some slips of rice paper out of a pocket, followed by a small writing box. This box was a simple clamshell box that opened out flat. One surface was a plain ink stone, the other held an ink stick and two brushes. 

Madam Pomfrey watched with some interest as Yusuke dripped water from the end of one finger then ground some ink. It only took him a few seconds to make ink, write several ofuda and clean his things. 

He then just ignored Dumbledore as he dropped all the ofuda on the book then said, “Totsugeki shimasu!” There was a flash of light, then mostly nothing. The book didn’t seem to change much. It looked a little more worn, a bit more ragged. But it felt completely different. The darkness was gone.

Then Yusuke picked up the book and handed it to Dumbledore with a deep bow and a small flourish. Dumbledore never realized that he’d been insulted. The bow had been deep enough for the Emperor, much too deep to be anything but sarcastic. “Dumbledore-dono.” And, with that, Yusuke left.

[end flashback]

Harry sighed, shaking his head, Dumbledore never learned. He mixed where he wasn’t wanted and managed to create chaos and confusion in his wake. Or not be where he was needed when something happened at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore had no idea what he was messing with. Christmas was very important in the kazoku. Yusuke headed for his office to have a little talk with the man. One in which he would talk and Dumbledore would listen, if he knew what was good for him.

It took an ofuda to get the gargoyle to move, he was not going to spend ten minutes guessing sweets while Dumbledore marshaled his defenses. He climbed the spiral stairs two at a time and barged through the door in a whirl of robes and hair.

He was greeted by the sight of a red-headed man and woman, who obviously had to be the elder Weasley's. The lady was, shrieking was the only thing that came to mind, at Dumbledore. 

“I would like to know how in the world you can deny our poor Ronnie medicine, then ask us to host someone in his place. Really!” The woman huffed and crossed her arms under her bosom. 

The man interjected in a milder but still unhappy voice, “Yes. Somehow, it seems as if you’re ... I don’t know. Offering us a substitute until Ronnie is awake again. As to the medicine. What difference does it make where it comes from? If Yusuke is willing to provide it now ... why not take it?”

Harry chose to interject himself into the conversation. “Yes indeed. Why not?” His smooth, silky tone would have warned his family and men that trouble was brewing. In fact, that particular tone made most of his gaki sweat.

Dumbledore just twinkled at them all, saying, “Ah! Harry, my boy. Let me make introductions.” He was hoping that this distraction would head off a Molly rant. “Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley. Harry Potter.”

Arthur, who had read all the letters his boys had written, just sighed. Molly, who had also read all the letters, including the ones from Ginny, glowered. They were both well aware that Harry preferred the name his adoptive father had given him.

Arthur offered his hand, saying kindly, “I believe you prefer the name Yusuke? Or Miyamoto?”

“Miyamoto-san. Mr Weasley.” He bowed properly.

Molly nodded to him. “Fred and George have spoken well of you. Ginny ... crushing, so don’t encourage her, please.” She eyed Dumbledore with some annoyance. 

Harry frowned slightly and questioned, “Crushing? I do not know that word, explain, please.” Although his request was more of a command.

“Crushing. She thinks she’s in love, but it’s only what we call a crush. She’s much too young for ...” Molly paused, trying to decided how to explain, without actually saying certain words.

“My attentions. Yes?” Harry grinned at Dumbledore and floored all the adults. “I agree. And I am perfectly able to keep my ... hormones in check. If I have problems, I’ll just have one of my gaki procure a whore for me.” he smirked then added, “or perhaps a wakashu would be more appropriate?” he waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ll ask my father which is more appropriate at Christmas.”

Molly’s mouth dropped open while Arthur gave Dumbledore a distressed look. Dumbledore cleared his throat, “Yes, my ... er ... Harry. About that ... I thought it might be nice for you to spend Christmas Holidays with a Wizarding family so I made arrangements for you to spend them with the Weasleys.” he smiled in a disgustingly self satisfied way, sure that Harry would never embarrass him by refusing.

Harry, on the other hand, let the most polite, stubborn, cold version of Yusuke out to play. “Ah! I would never do anything to embarrass someone who meant well. It would not be proper.” Dumbledore beamed. “However, I do not believe that I wish to put such a kind couple out at such a sad time. This looks unfortunately like an attempt to replace their much beloved son, Ronald, with my humble self. This is not kind. Therefore, I must, with great gratefulness at the offer, refuse.” Dumbledore blinked, he’d just been smoked by a sixteen year old. “I also feel it proper to offer, in the spirit of the season, the medicine which Ojiisan Agohigi has refused, ora. On your permission, I will send a dose for your son. Only for your son, as you are the only parent who knows of the offer. Yes?”

Dumbledore scowled openly for the first time in years. “Mr Potter! I refused with good reason. How are we to know that the potion is up to standards? How can we tell that it is pure? I refused for the ultimate safety of my students.”

Yusuke just bowed in his general direction. “I see. In other words, you do not trust any brewer, other than your own. I see. A Japanese brewer with a century plus experience is not as good, in your Western eyes, as a literal boy, with only twenty years experience. And no journeyman-ship to claim. Very well. I withdraw my offer. Please excuse my ignorance.” The chill in the air nearly gave the three adults frost bite.

Molly Weasley threw, what Hermione would call, a wobbly. She let out a screech that actually made Harry cringe. “Albus Dumbledore! What in the world is wrong with you? You know quite well that the Oriental brewers are especially skilled. I don’t understand this at all.” She turned to Yusuke, to ask, “Is there any way we can persuade you to give our Ronnie the potion?”

Yusuke gave Dumbledore a sly, triumphant, half smile. “Yes, there is. All you have to do is ask. And forgive me for turning down your so kind invitation to Christmas. I would much rather spend it with my Father. I’m sure you understand.” 

Arthur stepped in. “I would request that you procure the potion at your earliest convenience. And, of course, we forgive you. We were given the impression ...” he turned an unhappy look on Dumbledore. “that you wished to experience an English Christmas. It seems that we were misled.” he bowed carefully, in the English fashion.

Yusuke bowed back. “I see. I am young yet, I know, but I was brought up properly. My apologies for any inconvenience you have incurred. Ofukuro-sensei will be informed that the potion is ready. One hour.” He turned a completely insincere, sickly sweet smile on Dumbledore. “I’m so glad that the misunderstanding was cleared up with no hard feelings. My Father will be informed.” His sharp eyes didn’t miss the slight flinch Dumbledore wasn’t quite quick enough to hide completely. “Yes.”

Yusuke waved the Weasley’s effusive thanks away, saying, “Suzume no namida.” He gave the room a general bow and left, ignoring Dumbledore with a very cold shoulder.

He didn’t bother to hide the fact that he folded the second he reached the upper landing. If Dumbledore realized he could leave when he wished, things would either go better or worse. He wasn’t sure which would be more convenient to him. He knew that the British Ministry of Magic would not tolerate too much interference with him. He wasn’t sure if rubbing Dumbledore’s face in that fact was a good idea or a bad one. He would ask his father over the holidays. 

.

When Yusuke folded into the middle of Ken No Ie, he found a riot of shouting going on. He silenced all the men in the room with a simple, “Shut up!” Silence fell like thunder. “Ok. What the hell is going on?” his Japanese was crude yakuza slang and his voice was soft. “You...” he pointed to one man. “Speak.”

“It’s simple. We got a letter from that ... Kōchō that said you would be staying here for Christmas. Most of us don’t believe it. But some of those assholes think you’ll stay.” The man glared around as if daring anyone to contradict him.

“I’m not staying. That was Dumbledore’s wish, made fact, in his mind, by his declaration that I would stay. I’m not.”

He heard someone say, “See, the man tried to handle the Oojisama.”

“Feh! Handling Oojisama is like trying to handle a ball of razorblades bare handed.”

“Yes. So.” 

Yusuke slashed a hand through the air. “Enough. I am going home for the holidays and that is that.” he looked for the man he wanted. “Ha! You!” The brewmaster jumped. 

This wasn’t the man who had brewed the potions, he never left Japan. This man was Yusuke’s personal brewer and perfectly competent to administer any potion in the medicine chest. And brew most of them. 

“Fetch one dose of the anti-paralytic potion and bring it. We’re going to bring Ronald Weasley out of his paralysis.” Yusuke just waited while the man fetched the vial. 

When he returned, Yusuke led him in folding right into the infirmary. He was sure that Musashi-sama would be angry at him giving away the knowledge that he could enter and leave Hogwarts at will; but, right now, he was so angry that he didn’t care.

Madam Pomfrey jumped and squeaked when two men walked out of thin air and into the middle of the main ward. “Oh, my goodness!”

Yusuke nodded to her. “Have you heard from the Weasley parents yet?”

“Yes. Molly was here a moment ago. She was so upset that she could hardly talk, but Arthur was a bit more coherent. you’re to be allowed to give Ron some sort of potion, in hopes that it will cure him?” Yusuke nodded, one short jerk of his head. “I do hope so. It’s a shame that Albus is so set against ... er ... foreign things.” She bustled around, moving a screen from between Ron’s bed and the rest of the ward. The other petrified students all lay in beds lined up behind Ron’s. They were all screened from the main ward.

Yusuke eyed Ron for a moment. He didn’t feel much of anything, except a mild annoyance that the boy was so stupid, and a bit of sadness for his situation. All in all, he was mostly just indifferent. “Well? Do what must be done.” And, with that, he stepped out of the way to let his potion master do what needed to be done.

The wakashu nodded, bowed and approached his patient. “Sir! Miyamoto-sama. I ... he’s in a most unfortunate position. I need to get the potion into him; but, since he can’t swallow, I have to ... um ...” he trailed off. 

Madam Pomfrey approached because, one, she was concerned for her student and two, because she was always ready to learn something new. “Can I help in some way?”

The wakashu turned to Yusuke. “I need a ... straw or something similar. I never thought that he’d be allowed to stay so long in such a position. How are they getting nutrition into him?”

Yusuke turned and asked Madam Pomfrey that question. She waved a hand and said, “Oh, that’s easy. I just transport nutrition potion directly into their stomachs. It’s a newer spell. Lily, your mother, figured it out. In the old days, they’d all have starved to death by now.”

Yusuke felt a flash of pride. “I understand that my mother and father were both very smart people. Enough of that. Will you teach my man that spell? After we bring young Ronnniekins to life again.”

“Of course. But how do we get the medicine into Ron. I’m not sure I should try to spell it into him. Some potions don’t react well to having spells worked directly on them.”

Yusuke smirked at her as he said, “Tadaka-wakashu needs a straw or something similar. ”

Madam Pomfrey nodded, replying, “And not a spelled one, there is a chance that any spell created thing will adversely affect the potion.” She hurried off to fetch a straw.

When she returned, it was the work of moments to suck the potion into the straw, insert the straw into Ron’s nose and blow. 

Madam gave Yusuke a quizzical look which he answered simply, “The ... skin of the inside of the nose is very absorptive. This has been a way of administering potions for many years.”

She agreed, “I see. Yes, mucosal membranes are very absorptive. Osmosis is what the muggles call it. I think.”

Yusuke and Madam were distracted from their conversation by Ron’s awakening. It was a bit dramatic. He sat up, grunted then fell back down.

“What the hell? Why am I in the infirmary? What happened?” Ron looked around, puzzled. 

Madam bustled over to fuss at him.

Yusuke eyed Tadaka-san. “Nani?”

“He won’t remember up to three days before he was petrified. I’ll go now.” Tadaka-san bowed and folded away.

Yusuke shook his head and went into Madam Pomfrey’s office to try to floo the Weasleys. He failed in that as the floo was keyed to Madam and Headmistress McGonagall only. So, he went in search of the twins.

.

It didn’t take him long to find them, and the Weasley parents, along with Ginny. They were all in the common room, visiting.

“Ah!” he bowed slightly. “I was trying to get in touch with you. You might want to go to the infirmary. Ron’s awake.”

He stepped out of the way of the resultant stampede and winked at Hermione. He’d managed to thwart Dumbledore, help the Weasleys and make himself look like a hero to Dumbledore’s villain, all without breaking a sweat. He was inordinately pleased with himself and let it show, just a bit.

.

The Weasley family all went home early to celebrate Ron’s recovery. 

Molly called someone, who told someone else, who went to tea. It took two days for word to reach the families of all the other petrified students. They all demanded that Dumbledore allow their loved ones to have the potion Yusuke had offered. The only person who didn’t have an advocate was poor Mr Filch. Unfortunately for him, Mrs. Norris didn’t count. She wouldn’t have cared anyway; being a cat, she was only interested in who provided her with the softest bed and the best fish. A litter box that was out of the way and cleaned instantly wasn’t something to flit her tail at either. 

Dumbledore was out of the school again when the group turned up. Headmistress McGonagall offered to send for Yusuke, warning that demanding anything of him was not a good idea. The group elected one of their number to speak for all of them. 

Harry entered the small meeting room with a questioning look at his head of house. She just gestured to the man standing in front of the group. He stepped forward, hand out stretched. “Hello, Mr. Potter. I’m Mr Billingsgate, father of Hanna. I was hoping that we could persuade you to give our children the potion that you gave to young Weasley. Please?”

Harry glanced from him to Headmistress McGonagall, after receiving a small nod from her he turned back. “I think that it might be possible.”

Mr Billingsgate looked relieved. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what Dumbledore is thinking. I’ve heard, and I believe it, that Japanese brewers are something special.” At McGonagall’s surprised expression he explained, “The Old School don’t believe that anything good comes from anywhere other than Britain, that’s all the Purebloods and most of the people over 80. I’m a progressive myself. I tend to believe the evidence of my eyes and think before I over react.”

Harry gave them man one of his special brilliant, sweet smiles and said, “I’ll send for the potion at once. Since you’ve asked so nicely, I’ll see that everyone who is petrified gets one. Yes?” He glanced at McGonagall.

She replied, “I’d take it as a personal favor if you provided one for Mr. Filch.” she grimaced, “Is Mrs. Norris still staying in your rooms?”

“Yes. Rippana neko-san is still staying with me. I think she might insist on remaining.” he made a face. “Her accommodations in Mr Filch’s room left something to be desired.” When Harry had gone to check for a bed or toys for the cat, he’d found that she had no bed and there was no indication that she slept in a chair. And there was a total lack of toys.

Headmistress McGonagall, perfectly aware that Mrs Norris slept on Filch’s bed, remarked mildly. “I’m sure she will decide what is best for her.”

Harry agreed, well aware that cats were going to do what they wanted, no matter what anyone thought. He hoped the cat was allowed her way.

.

The awakening of all the petrified people was greeted with joy by their families, except in the cases of Filch and Trelawney. They had no living family. The students were allowed to go home three days early for Christmas Holidays. Filch and Trelawney, Madam Pomfrey kept in the infirmary for an extra night. 

Harry felt that he was entitled to a bit of an early break. Dumbledore was gone again so he wouldn’t be a problem. Harry knew that one of the man’s main problems was, he burst onto the scene, pontificated, pronounced his orders then went away. He never checked on anything, or made sure that people understood why he ordered as he did. He was a very over worked, spread thin general. He didn’t know the meaning of the word delegate. And seemed to think that tact and manipulation were the same thing. Harry shook his head over Dumbledore’s foolishness and wondered, not for the first time, if the man was senile or just spread too thin on the ground. 

Since he knew he had to wait for his father and brothers to meet him at the train, for appearances sake, Harry decided to take care of another name on his list. He also had plans for a present for a friend. 

Since Headmistress McGonagall insisted on it, he went to tell her that he would be gone for the day.

Headmistress McGonagall just looked at him for a moment. “I’m sure you’re not going to tell me where you’re going or what you’re doing. Just assure me that you will be careful. Please?”

Harry flicked the end of his pony tail off his shoulder. “I will. I have a little project in mind.” He smiled at her in a way that gave her a chill. “Something to do with Animal Control.”

McGonagall mouthed, ‘Macnair.’ Harry just smirked and walked out. He folded from the corridor outside McGonagall’s office to Ken No Ie.

He got the gear he needed, took a few moments to clean out mallet space and started to leave. He was detained by one of the new gaki.

“Boss, can I ask you a question?” The man looked nervous.

“Sure. I reserve the right to refuse to answer and to smack you around if I don’t like it. So, go.” Yusuke checked his side arm while he waited.

“So. You keep an arsenal in your hidden space, so why do you wear stuff so openly?”

“Intimidation. Wizards don’t know what most of my arms are, so they’re usually taken by complete surprise when I shoot them instead of hexing them. And most others know what they are and accord me the appropriate respect.” He raised an eyebrow, inviting further questions. 

The gaki just bowed, thanked him for his patience and hurried away.

Harry left the house, cracking his neck to release the tension in it. He knew where he was going. His men were very good at their jobs.

He folded to the small cottage in Cumbria Lake District. It was located in one of the small folds on a ridge close to Lake Crummock Water and had all the usual wizard protections from discovery by Muggles. And many wizards. The man was a bit paranoid, for which Harry was glad. It made it so much easier to get to him.

When he reached the site, all he could see was a rather odd foggy area, not that uncommon in this area at this time of year. It usually presaged snow. Harry liked snow, Hokkaido was a ski resort, after all. Harry loved skiing and other snow sports. He shrugged and got his attention back on business.

He took his time, checked out the area and double checked all his gaki’s information. They were, as usual, right on. Wards, alarms, physical barriers and shields were all exactly where the gaki said they would be.

Yusuke wrote ofuda to take down the wards, shields and alarms without setting anything off. The physical barriers were nothing to him. He set the ofuda to hover in place until he had them all placed so that all the wards, every side of the house, would come down at once. He said, “Iku!” and watched as the wards, shields and alarms went down in a flash of magical colors.

He wound up not having to worry about getting Macnair out of his house. He ran out to see what had happened to the wards. Yusuke snarled, there must have been some sort of alarm that he’d missed. 

He let Macnair wander around his yard for a few moments; while he, Yusuke, got to the top of his wall. This didn’t take much as it was only about eight feet high, just a good jump for Yusuke. He knelt there for a while, watching Macnair, studying the way he moved, his size, his body language.

Macnair seemed relaxed, more puzzled as to what was going on than anything, but he was carrying a huge axe like it was a toothpick. Yusuke knew that he had to avoid all contact with that axe, it would break his sword like a quill shaft.

He started his attack by the simple expedient of back stabbing the man. He just dropped off the wall into the shadows of the wall and poked Macnair in the back with his sword. Macnair bellowed in pain, fury and confusion. Yusuke dodged his reflexive swing, it was wild and all he had to do was duck under the swish of the axe blade splitting the air over his head.

It was the work of seconds to dance into Macnair’s line of sight. “Ha! Idiot!” Yusuke ran, leading Macnair more into the open, giving himself more room to maneuver.

Macnair chased after him, leaving a trail of droplets of blood on the snowy ground. 

The fight was fast, low down and dirty. Macnair was good with that axe and nearly got Yusuke twice. The third swing was a backward, awkward thing that left Macnair open for a cut across the belly that put him down on his knees.

“You bastard! Who are you? What do you want?” Macnair clutched the cut with both hands, trying desperately to keep his guts in until he could get to a healing potion.

Yusuke had no intention of allowing that. “I want your head. You’re a Death Eater. A fool who follows a maniac. You enjoy killing helpless animals and torturing children.”

Macnair looked up into brilliant, emerald eyes; hard as diamonds and as merciless as he was himself. He saw his death in them. That didn’t stop him from begging. “No! Please! What do you want? I have money! I can tell you things you want to know. Just ask!”

Yusuke kicked him to his knees then forced him into position, shoving a billet under his chin. “I have sources much better than you. I’m richer than you can imagine and the bounty on you is more than you earn in two years. So ... I’ll just have your head.”

The sound that echoed around the yard could only be made by one thing. Yusuke took not only his head, but his arm as well. The dark mark was livid and unmistakable.

He summoned Hedwig who flew down from a nearby tree. She always seemed to know when he needed her which pleased him more than it really ought. He shrank the arm and the pre-prepared note and put them in the messenger bag she wore. There was no way he was tying anything to her delicate legs. He sent her on her way to the Ministry to collect his bounty. He was glad that Macnair had a very recognizable scar on his left hand. And the special mark that indicated he was a member of the inner circle.

The head, he sent to Voldemort himself, via public mail owl. He wasn’t about to risk Hedwig for that. He was fairly sure that the owl wouldn’t survive the delivery.

He had his doubts about the wisdom of sending a head to Voldemort, but his father had ordered it, so he obeyed. 

After finishing his task, he returned to Hogwarts, leaving the headless, one armed body right where he’d killed Macnair, in the garden. He did close the cottage door.

.

Harry was jumpy, as he always was after a kill, so when Hermione poked him from behind, he nearly punched her. She yelped, he swore then snarled, “Don’t do that. You want a punch?”

“No! I’m sorry. What’s wrong with you?” Hermione clutched her chest with one hand. 

“Hitogoroshi always makes me jumpy. You know that.” Harry gave Hermione a quick hug. “Warui bijinesu. Come. I want tea.”

Hermione followed him up to his dorm and settled on the bed to drink tea, eat snacks and listen as he grumbled in Japanese about Dumbledore, the Ministry, Death Eater fools and Draco.

She knew that Draco really annoyed Harry. She just wasn’t exactly sure why.

“Well, I’ll think about it. But ... Draco really let all those ... those men ... into Hogwarts? But ... But ... why? What did he think he could accomplish? We’re just a bunch of kids! It’s just so ... odd.” Hermione bit into a cookie, scattering crumbs across the bed.

Harry nodded. “It is. Chichi-ue is looking into it.” He waved his hand, creating a cloud of crumbs which he directed out the gap in the curtains. Mrs. Norris snorted as they flew over her head.

Hermione gathered the cat up and rubbed her ears, causing Mrs Norris to purr loudly. “Who’s a beautiful lady? Who’s a precious?” she coo-ed in a saccharine voice.

Harry made gagging noises. “You’re going to kill that cat with sugar overload.” Mrs Norris just purred louder, adding a head butt for good measure. Harry’s disgusted expression made Hermione laugh. 

“I’ve got a weird question to ask. Why the hell do they forbid boys the girls dorm but allow girls into the boys? That doesn’t make any sense at all.” 

Hermione thought about that for a moment. “Well, we’re not allowed up after curfew ... but ... well, I really don’t know. It really doesn’t make sense.”

Harry stretched. “I already said that.” Hermione huffed her irritation. Yusuke came to one sort of logical conclusion. “I know! Girls are more inclined to leave each other alone on request. Boys, not so much. We’ll barge in regardless. So ... but...” He gave her a nasty smile. “There’s just no logic in British wizards. There’s nothing two people can do that can’t be done with the lights on. Or early in the evening.”

Hermione sighed, “None of these people have any sense at all.” they heard a clatter on the stairs. “Neville?”

“Yes, he seems to think he should make some noise before he comes in.” Harry poked his head out of the curtains.

Neville remarked, with some acidity, “Well, let me see. Last time I came up quietly, you nearly cut my throat.”

“Yes, there is that. And I did apologize.” Harry blessed Neville with a singularly sweet smile then announced, “I’ve got a really nice present planned for you for Christmas.”

Neville flopped down on his bed, shoving the curtains aside. “Don’t strain yourself. I’ve got no idea what to get you. What do you want?”

Yusuke shrugged. “I don’t care. In Japan we usually give food as there’s not that much room for ... what was it that Lavender called it?”

Hermione supplied, “Tchatchke ... and where she got that word, I’ll never know. It’s Yiddish, I think, and means useless decorations.”

Neville shrugged. “Ok, but that still leaves me with no idea what to give you. Help a fellow out?”

Harry thought for a moment. “Well, there’s that special brandy ... apple, I think? I did like that.”

Neville nodded agreeably. “Ok, that’s easy to come by. I’ll send you a bottle, and one for ...” 

Harry obligingly supplied a list of names of people in his family that Neville should send a bottle of Apple Brandywine to. 

The next two days were occupied with tests, packing and shopping.

.

At last the morning they left for Christmas Holidays came. 

Harry eyed his roommates with a jaundiced eye. Neville was calmly finishing his last minute packing.

Seamus and Dean, on the other hand, were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Neither one of them had bothered to pack earlier, now they were in a panic. Harry considered helping them out with a few of the tricks he knew, then decided that this was a learning experience for both of them. McGonagall had reminded them every Friday for the last two weeks to be ready, Hermione had told them every day for the last three. They had seen fit to, as Hermione put it, faff around until just now. 

“The train will be leaving in one hour.” Hermione stuck her head into the room, glowered around then snorted and left. Neville and Harry followed her. Dean gave up packing properly and just shoved everything he needed into his trunk, willy-nilly and left it for the elves to handle. Seamus also gave up, but managed to leave a note, apologizing for the mess. 

.

The train left on time, no one got left behind, although some people missed breakfast due to being so late downstairs. 

The walk to the station went right by Ken No Ie which resulted in the spectacle of all the gaki standing in the yard, bowing, as their Kumicho walked by. 

.  
Kūhaku?Deshou ka? Īe chosakumasen - Blank? What? No writings?  
Tamashī no bin - soul bottle  
totsugeki shimasu - command to activate ofuda  
suzume no namida - [It is] the tear of a sparrow - it’s nothing. [implied]  
Kōchō - headmaster  
Rippana neko-san - honorable cat


	22. Chapter 22

Once they reach Japan all conversations are in Japanese unless otherwise stated.

.

The train ride was notable only for the crushing boredom they all endured. Hermione had been told that she wasn’t allowed to take any books home with her, Dumbledore’s orders, so she didn’t have anything to read. Neville forgot his book bag so he didn’t either, and had nothing to lend to Hermione. Harry smoked, settled in a corner under an open window. 

He refused to leave the compartment he had selected as the corridor was filled with shrieking, giggling first, second and third years. The prefects were having no luck getting them into compartments, they barely managed to keep them from charging from one end of the train to the other. The fourth years were about equally divided between that group and the fifth, sixth and seventh years, who were mostly holed up in compartments and doing their best to ignore the chaos. 

When the trolly lady came through, the corridor emptied just enough for her to get through. This added to the chaos as the younger students, and some of the older ones, succumbed to a raging sugar high. Harry wondered why they were allowed to gorge on sugary treats and were never offered anything substantial, a dining car would have kept most of the passengers from eating cauldron cakes, fantastic fudge and other sweets, just to stave off hunger. He pulled his bento out of his pocket and settled to eat that, nodding to the lady through the window. Like many Japanese, he’d never really developed a sweet tooth, although he did like candy and cake, just not a lot of it at once.

He offered part of his bento to Hermione, there was plenty, which she accepted with a sigh. “I would really like to know why Dumbledore forbade me to bring books home. He knows we’re assigned homework over the holls. I’ll have to scramble like crazy to do it before it’s due.”

“I think he’s trying to force all the muggle born to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas ... for some reason I can’t figure out.” Harry poked at a pickle, wondering what it was.

Hermione glanced over at Neville who shrugged his own puzzlement. “Don’t look at me, the workings of that man’s mind completely escape me. And Gran. Canny as she is, she can’t figure him out.”

Harry thought while he finished the last of the rice, finally offering, “Perhaps he had some thought of making Hermione so bored that she’d ask to visit the Weasleys for part of the holidays?”

Neville gave that some consideration then nodded, “Maybe. But why?”

“He thought I was going to spend my holidays with them. Why he thought I’d allow him to dictate where I went is beyond me, but ... with me there and her there he expected something to happen to his benefit. But what it might be?” he shook his head.

Hermione shrugged. “Maybe just to indoctrinate us into the wizard culture?”

They discussed this a bit more then agreed to give up on Dumbledore as a lost cause.

They were glad to finally pull into King's Cross Station.

.

Harry stepped off the train, relief evident on his face, the near riot in the corridor had given him a headache. He didn’t understand why the prefects hadn’t done something about the noise, not to mention the running up and down the corridor. 

He was pleased to see that his father’s wakashu had formed a double line from the train to his father’s presence and were preventing anyone from breaching that line. It irritated all the katagi but he didn’t care, they irritated him just by existing. He was very tired of trying to pretend to be something he was not. That is, that he was not irritated to the extreme by the Ministry, Dumbledore and various Slytherins. That he was not an oyabun in his own right. And that he was not perfectly capable of killing said irritants, just to remove them. His low key persona was a nuisance that he was going to demand to be allowed to drop.

Hermione followed Harry with Neville by her side. They’d both been carefully coached on the train ride in. 

Harry greeted his father and oyabun with a proper bow. “Father, I am pleased to see you.” He waved a hand in Neville’s general direction. “Neville Longbottom, heir to the Longbottom greenhouses.” Neville stepped up and bowed, European style. “And Hermione Granger.” Hermione curtseyed, rather nicely, she thought.

Miyamoto Musashi bowed to his son. “I am pleased to see you, my son.” His translator translated for the two English youngsters. “Hermione-san, Neville-san.” He bowed to them. “Please ... introduce me to this Weasley.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Elder or ... one of the younger?” he nodded his head in the direction of the gathered Weasley clan.

“Ah? So many?” Musashi-sama thought for a second. “All of them then.”

Harry led the way with Hermione on his arm and Neville right behind him. Hermione kept an eye out for her parents. They sometimes had trouble getting into the platform to pick her up.

Harry performed the introductions with grace. “My father. Arthur Weasley and his wife, Molly. Their sons, Fred and George, Ron and their daughter Genevra.” he bowed, “Miyamoto Musashi.”

Arthur offered his hand. “Very pleased to make your acquaintance.” Musashi took the hand although he wasn’t that fond of the Western handshake. 

Molly offered a proper curtsey and received a bow in return. 

The twins bowed properly and got a bow and a slight smile back.

Ron was his usual boorish self and just nodded. He got a sneer in return.

Hermione happily hugged Molly then Arthur, while Neville contented himself with a simple nod to the group. 

Musashi-san was impressed by Arthur, disgusted with Ron, the twins he reserved judgment on until he knew more. He ignored Ginny, as was proper, gave Molly the bow she deserved then said, “I understand that Dumbledore tried to dump my son on you. I thank you for your hospitality but am forced to refuse it. Yusuke would be most upset to miss Christmas with his family.” The translator was very careful to offer no insult to this family. 

Molly looked annoyed as she explained, “Professor Dumbledore told us that, as we had a place at table, he thought it would be nice for ... Yusuke to be included in a normal English family Christmas. I had some reservations, but he ran them over. Ronny was still petrified and ... well, I did think it was a bit mean spirited for him to push your son on us at such a time. But, he means well, I think.” Her expression changed to doubtful as she spoke.

“I’m sure you meant well. And I do thank you for putting yourselves out. Thankfully, your son is recovered.” He eyed Ron for a second, making him shift uncomfortably. “We must go now. I do not think the Grangers are here yet. We must see that Miss Granger is safe for her parents.” Musashi thought this was as good an excuse as any to get away from the Weasleys without insult.

Molly nodded. “Oh, good. I was hoping ... well, we need to go fairly quickly and I am always a bit worried about Hermione. Her parents are Muggles, you see.” She smiled, collected her family with a glance and bustled off.

Hermione sighed. “That woman. I swear, she never realizes how rude she can be.”

Musashi-san glanced at Neville. Neville spoke directly to him, ignoring the translator, as was proper. “She’s the wife of the head of an Ancient family. She ... tends to be a bit overbearing. She means well but sometime she ... gets a bit too forceful. Just ignore her. She’ll never learn and it’ll just cause bad feelings.” He glanced around, saw his grandmother and bowed, continuing. “There’s my Gran. Pleased to meet you, sir.” And with that, he just turned and walked away.

Musashi followed him with his eyes. “He’s a good friend?”

“Yes.” Harry left it at that as Hermione was beginning to panic slightly. “Hermione?”

“I don’t see my parents. I bet they had trouble getting in again.” Hermione bit her lip, this was always a problem, her non-magical parents had trouble getting into the platform. They didn’t like her having to come to them, it meant that she had to wrestle with her heavy trunk by herself. And no one thought to help her with it as magical parents cast feather light charms without thinking about it. And she wasn’t supposed to do it herself due to the underage magic laws. 

Harry turned to one of the men and ordered in Japanese. “See to her baggage. Find her parents. Go.” One man grinned and held up her trunk, shrunken down to the size of a pack of cards. Harry acknowledged this with one word, “Good.” and a nod. Another man just walked through the gate and returned a few moments later with the Grangers in tow.

Hermione’s Mother and Father were typical English professionals. Emma Granger, DDS was of average height, bright-eyed and Harry could see where Hermione got her hair. Mrs Granger’s was more contained but only because Hermione had been on a train all day. Dan Granger, DDS was also rather painfully average, but his quick intelligence showed in his glance at the surrounding men. Harry performed introductions again. 

Dan offered his hand then withdrew it, apologizing then bowing a bit clumsily. “Sorry, I forgot. Hermione said that you don’t like shaking hands.”

Emma also offered a bow. “Pleased to meet you.”

“And I, you. My son has told me much about your daughter.” Musashi bowed in return. “Please.” he motioned to Yusuke’s man. “Take them to their vehicle, take care of their baggage. We will go on to Japan, follow when you can.”

“Hai, Kumicho.” The man bowed and led his charges away. No one had the nerve to comment about the abruptness of his dismissal. No one, frankly, thought of it. Everyone was too eager to get out of the crowds and noise.

So they could avoid drawing too much unwelcome attention to their method of travel, they made their way to the apparition point, ready to fold to Japan. Musashi announced, “You will write a proper report on each of those people, as well as Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick. The rest are of no interest to me. This Snape? I do not know, yet.” 

Harry just bowed. “Yes, father, as you will.” He smiled at one of the wakashu who just shrugged. 

They folded home in seconds.

.

Sirius Black was in heaven. The Yakuza had taken him in, healed him in mind and body and given him a job. Then they’d brought his oldest friend to him. This friend, who had a terrible disease, turned out to be very well received in this country. 

He was now waiting for the third good thing to happen. He’d been carefully warned about the ‘young boss’ and knew that, if he insulted his godson, everything could be ruined. He didn’t want that so he vowed to mind his manners.

He was delighted when the whole group folded in, in step, and walked toward him. It was a wonderful sight to see. The first man through wasn’t Musashi, it was one of the senior Wakashu, Musashi’s ‘shield’. The next man through was Harry’s shield. Right behind the two shields, Musashi and Harry strode side by side. Musashi was laughing at something Harry had said just before they folded. Right behind them came most of the English hires as well as all the wakashu that had gone with Musashi. They formed three ranks of Armani suited muscle.

Musashi led Yusuke up to the two men, ignoring his curious, sidelong glance. 

“Harry Potter, better known as Miyamoto Yusuke; this is your godfather, Sirius Black.”

Yusuke couldn’t help the smile he gave the tall, salt and pepper haired man. “Sir.” He bowed then was enveloped in a gentle firm hug. 

“Harry. You look great.” Sirius pushed the young man away and looked him over. “You look exactly like your dad, except for the eyes and mouth. Those you got from Lily. And that hair. Head of family.” Sirius reached out to touch, pausing a moment, until he got a nod of permission from Harry. “Very nice.”

“Thank you. But we should get in out of the weather. Remus.” Harry led the way, nodding at Remus as he walked by him. “How are you?”

“Well, thank you.” Remus Lupin was also a very happy man. “Pleased with myself, actually.”

Harry gave him a genuine smile. “Like your job?”

“Yes, I do. I never thought that being ‘dumb muscle’ would be so much fun.” Remus smiled at Harry then Sirius.

Sirius thought back.

*flashback*

“Well, Black-san, what would you like to do with your life now?” Musashi-san waited for the translator with some impatience.

“First, I really need to learn Japanese. Waiting for the translator, good as he is, is a nuisance.” The translator flushed a bit as he did his job.

“Ah! Good. Good. I know of a potion and a spell that will teach you Japanese. There’s only one slight drawback.” Sirius raise an eyebrow as he waited for his host to get to the point. “You’ll have the devil’s own headache for a couple of days.”

“And Azkaban is just a picnic.” Sirius just shrugged off the possible pain. “Or a firewhisky hangover.”

“True, but you can’t take anything for it.” Musashi-san waited for the ‘soft’ English wizard to back down.

“So? Dementors don’t exactly pass out pain potions on demand, you know.” Sirius knew he was pushing the edge with this, but he was sure that his host didn’t care much for fancy foot work, especially if it wasn’t necessary.

Musashi-san just motioned to a man standing near the door. “Give him the potion.”

Sirius gulped the foul smelling, rancid tasting stuff down then handed the beaker back to the potions maker. Then he followed instructions to lay back on the futon and hold still. After a few passes of his hands, something that Sirius found very odd, the Potions Master nodded and said, “He should do. The spell should be taking already.”

Sirius found that he could puzzle out what the man was saying after a bit of thought. “I understood that.” He settled his head on the hard pillow then groaned as he felt as if someone had shoved a hot coal into his head, right behind his eyes. “Damn.”

Musashi glanced at the wakashu who stayed with Sirius to translate and keep him on his regimen of potions. The man nodded back at him and settled to watch his ‘bossu’. He liked the man. He was tough, surviving 12 years in an English prison proved that; even though he wasn’t quite as sane as one would like. The potions he was taking were proving to be very effective. The healer said that he should be back to, what passed for him, normal by Christmas.

It took three days for Sirius to completely lose the headache. Then he was put to work as a ‘collections’ agent. He actually liked the job. He collected the money from businesses around Hokkaido and brought it back to the compound. He also listened to any complaints from the business owners. He reported them to Ito Ken-ichi, the Wakagashira, who handled the problem.

A month after he took his job, he got another surprise. 

He was kneeling at his writing desk, filling out his accounts, when he heard a voice behind him say, “Well, well, it seems you can teach an old dog new tricks.”

He turned to see an old friend. “Remus!” He jumped up to be enveloped in a hug. “Damn! Am I glad to see you.”

Remus winced a bit. “Ow. Easy there, I’ve got some broken ribs.”

Sirius let go at once. “Damn. What happened?” He pulled Remus toward his futon. “Never mind. I’ll get a healer and we’ll swap stories later. You did hear that I’m not guilty ... right?” He gave quick instructions to a waiting man.

“I did. The other dansei at Ken No Ie were all indignant, but said that you couldn’t expect anything more from the Engrishu. They don’t think much of the English magicals.” He couldn’t help a bit of a smirk as he settled on the bed. “They think I’m a great asset, and that the Aurors are ignorant savages to waste me.”

“Damn straight.” Sirius flopped down beside his friend. That being the next best thing to hugging the stuffing out of him. “Now, what’s wrong with you? Straight stuff.”

“A couple of broken ribs, I swear. Greyback is dead. Harry chopped his head off. Very nice job. He reminds me of Lily more than James. Same temperament. Looks a bit more like James.” Remus sighed. “I’m supposed to see a healer. Bossu ordered it. Harry’s a Kumicho.”

“I know. I nearly had a heart attack when Yoji told me he was a toy child. Then he explained what that meant. Kid fell into a honey pot.” Sirius nodded to the healer, who entered with a rack of potions in his hand. “Those all mine?”

“No, Black-san, some are for Lupin-gaijin.” The man smiled at him, handed him the rack and left again.

Sirius eyed the rack for a moment then said, “Oh! Ok, here.” he picked out several potions and handed them to Remus. “These are for you. The rest are mine. You might as well just take them now.”

Remus knew better than to argue with Sirius when he got that look. It had been years since he’d seen his best friend, but they fell into old patterns as if it had only been days.

They’d have a few surprises for each other, but, all in all, they felt as if no time at all had passed. Even though it had been sixteen years.

“How did you manage to stay sane?” Remus rolled his head to look at his friend

“Padfoot. And pure stubbornness; besides, who said I’m sane.” Sirius grinned back

“Well, you don’t appear any crazier than you were before your little vacation.” Remus belched loudly. One of the side effects of Boneknit was gas.

“Nice.” Sirius made a face. “I’m on a regimen of potions and mind healing that’s really helping.”

Remus, more in tune with ‘normal’ things, asked, “A psychiatrist?”

“Don’t know what that is. I just sit with this old man, drink tea and talk. It’s kinda nice.”

“That’s probably a psychiatrist. So ... any women?” Remus felt like they’d done enough with the proprieties, now it was time to get to the good stuff.”

Sirius smirked, “Of course. Professional and other wise.”

After that, the conversation wended the way all conversations between boys do, booze, broads and battles, as Sirius put it.

*end flashback*  
.

While all this was going on, things were beginning to fall apart elsewhere. 

Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge checked the ledger again. “This is impossible! That boy has taken over Knockturn Alley, charges protection ... and provides it. He’s paid off the taxes of everyone in debt and ... and ...” he trailed off to sputter. 

Percy Weasley was regretting his decision to accept his current position. He just knew he was going to wind up the scapegoat, again. “And there is also the matter of his outstanding bounties.”

“Outstanding? Bounties? What bounties and why are they outstanding?” Fudge sighed. He just knew that that Miyamoto fellow had run one by him. He just wasn’t sure how. 

“You signed a contract with Miyamoto Musashi which outlines exactly what Harry Potter is to do and what he is to be paid for doing it. I have several complaints from Mr Miyamoto about interference with Mr Potter’s duties. Dumbledore is doing his best to keep the boy from fulfilling his contract with the Ministry. The contract which gives him, Potter, the authority to remove You-Know-Who; by whatever means necessary, as well as dealing with all active Death Eaters as required in the contract. And the bounties are ... reasonable. They’re on a sliding scale, relative to the persons place in the hierarchy. He sent us Walden Macnair’s arm, complete with Dark Mark, which proves that he was in the inner circle. The bounty is still outstanding. ”

Fudge could feel the blood running out of his face as he realized that he’d actually authorized a bounty on Death Eaters, something that was going to lead to him meeting a sticky end the second Voldemort realized what he’d done. 

Percy took a good look at Fudge and started revising his CV. He was going to start looking for a different job.

.

Voldemort eyed the bowing and scraping Death Eaters. “I am not pleased. At all. I want to know why I have no low level minions. Where are they all? Where is Greyback? Why has Malfoy been glaringly missing from the last few summons? Answer me!”

No one seemed to know much of anything. And no one mentioned the head that had appeared on the front steps.

No one was about to actually tell their lord to his face that anyone lower than the third rank had either crawled into a hole and pulled it in after them, or gone to the Continent. No one with any sense at all was about to tell him that Greyback and Macnair had been beheaded by persons unknown, nor were they going to tell him that there was a bounty on each and everyone of them. 

The only one of them with the knowledge of their lord’s mind to actually get anywhere with him was Lucius Malfoy, and he wasn’t answering the summons. Anyone who went to see why not, got hexed to within an inch of their lives and sanity. 

Since no one was speaking up, Voldemort tried to encourage them with a few Crucioes. This just led to them running the first chance they got. 

.

Yusuke had taken a day to settle back in, get back up to speed on his projects and just do nothing, for about four hours. Now, he was ready to pick up the reins again.

“Oji-Shiriusu, I need to see your reports. The full reports, not the redacted ones.” Harry poured tea and pushed the cup over to Remus. “When you go to get the reports, ask Kuma to come to me.”

Remus settled on a cushion, accepted the tea and replied, “Sure thing. And that’s the last English I should hear from you.” he grinned at Harry’s raised eyebrow. “As I’m a werewolf, the language potion won’t work on me so I have to learn Japanese the hard way.”

Sirius eased his crossed legs into a kneel, grumbling, “I don’t know about that. That headache was a real killer. But ... Nihongo it is, from now on.” He picked up the cup Harry slid to him and sipped. 

Sirius smirked at Remus over his tea then asked, “Ok, Kumicho, what first. Reports, I know. But ... really, there’s not much that needs attending to. Just a couple of second class Oyabun that need a kick in the arse. A customer who runs his mouth too much. And a bunch of motor garutachi that need a bit more than that. I’ve got reports on them too. I’d have addressed it all myself but Genji-sama said it needed to wait for you. So ... after I eat, I’ll bring the reports.”

“Good, good. When Kuma gets here, I’m going to make arrangements to go skiing. Sirius? Do you want to come?” Harry smiled at his godfather. He planned to sit with him all day today and learn about his parents, then take him, along with Remus, to run his errands.

“Yes, I love skiing. It’s nearly as much fun as flying.” Sirius knew he was getting impatient to have ‘alone’ time with his godson, but he also knew that forcing things wouldn’t work. It hadn’t worked with James and he’d been cautioned by several people that trying to force Yusuke was like shouting at the ocean.

Harry smiled at his obviously impatient godfather. “I need to take care of business first. Family rule. But I want to spend time with you. This afternoon would be good.”

“Why can’t I come with you? Help you with your business. I’ve been your collection agent since about a week after I got here.” Sirius frankly pouted.

“Oji, I’m a yakuza kumicho. It doesn’t matter my age, I do business. Real business, not a couple of pachinko parlors and a laundry.” 

“Yusuke-kumicho, I know that. If you’re worried that I’ll go all girly over a bloody nose or two, think again. I’m a Black. I know you don’t really know what that means, but I’ll tell you some stories. Later. Rest assured that I’m not going to freak out on you.” Sirius gave Yusuke that stubborn look that the old Marauders would have recognized in a second. He wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Remus, well aware of the Black family history, just shrugged one shoulder. “You better just let him come, he’ll pout like a two year old else.” He returned to his breakfast, absently ducking the swat at his head.

“Evil.” Sirius’ accusation was without heat. “I’ll fetch those reports now and call Kuma. My breakfast won’t get cold. Excuse me.”

He was back in a few minutes, Kuma in tow. He put the files by Harry’s elbow and returned to his food, falling into a contemplative silence. He was realizing that Harry really was a great deal more like Lily than James. He was going to enjoy the day as best he could, putting aside other concerns for later, or never.

Harry read steadily as he ate his breakfast. Remus watched for a moment then smirked at Sirius over his tea cup. They’d discussed Harry, or Yusuke, while they both healed. Remus had described the fight between Yusuke and Greyback and Sirius had told him everything he’d learned here in Japan. Neither one of them was going to make the mistake of thinking Harry/Yusuke was like James, or Lily. He was so obviously his own person that they’d have to be blind drunk to think otherwise.

After finishing his reading, Yusuke took a fude pen out of one of the folders and started making notes. Kuma, who’d been sitting watching with some amusement, finally recalled Yusuke’s attention to him.

“Ah! Young Lord, what was it you wanted with me?”

Yusuke blinked. “Oh, I wanted you to arrange a skiing trip ...” he waved a hand vaguely. “somewhere. Sirius, Remus, me ... and anyone else you feel appropriate. Father, of course, and any of my brothers, supposing they can get away, yes?”

Kuma just got up, bowed, announced, “It shall be as you say, Oojisama.” He winked at Remus, nodded to Sirius and wandered out, planning in his head as he went.

Yusuke closed his notes and stood up. “I’m ready to go as soon as you can get ready. Remus? You have a good suit now? Sirius?” He glanced at Remus’ yukata then Sirius’ jeans and long sleeved flannel shirt.

It was December in Hokkaido and that meant it was cold. At that particular time it was about -17C/0F, in Sirius’ words, ‘It’s frickin’ cold!’ This meant that they had to go change in to winter suits and overcoats. 

The change was made and they left for Sapporo, folding into a small room in the elaborate headquarters they maintained in the city. 

Most people who were not Japanese would assume that a Yakuza HQ would be some cramped, dirty warehouse or something. They’d be very wrong. The Yamaguchi kazoku maintained a very obvious presence in Sapporo, in the form of one of the most modern buildings in the city. It was prominently signed with electric, neon signs that stated Yamaguchi over every door and in several windows on upper floors. The six story building even had top of the line security systems, very polite visible guards, a restaurant for employees only and a tiny lady at each door who bowed to everyone who entered and offered to help them find their way. There was even a way for people to find the Kakusareta, the hidden family; if they had the proper passwords and papers.

Each Miyamoto had his own office suite there, with a full staff. Sirius had been astonished to find that he had an office in Yusuke’s suite and a secretary. Remus had howled with laughter when told then winced when told he had an office there too.

Now, all they were going to do was damage control so none of them did more than check with their secretary to see if he had anything that needed done at once. There wasn’t so they left the building on foot to meet with the first person on their list.

This was a disgruntled owner of a large pachinko parlor. He thought he should be an oyabun in his own right, he wasn’t. He wasn’t even a Shateigashira, he was just an owner who paid for protection and talked too big. 

“Remus? What would you suggest? I don’t want him killed, or even maimed; just taught a lesson. He’s too much above himself.” Yusuke smoked as they walked. “Sirius?”

Sirius shrugged. “Have Remus snarl at him. If he doesn’t wet himself, I’ll give it a try.”

“And me?” Yusuke liked what he’d heard so far but he was wondering what Sirius’ thinking was.

“You’re the big gun. If we have to turn it over to you ... like he’s really stubborn or something. Well, up to you, but I’d hurt him bad.” Sirius settled his coat more comfortably with a shrug.

Remus nodded. “Good. But I think you, Sirius should be first resort. They know you’re the collector, so it’s logical for you to talk to him first. If that doesn’t put him in his place, I’ll snarl at him. But we have to make sure that the Yōjinbō know who we are.”

Sirius snorted, “They’ll all know who Yusuke is. We’re going to be obviously following his orders. They’ll keep out of it.”

Yusuke nodded, ponytail swishing. “Yes, they all know me. I’ve served them all spicy noodles at one time or another. They’ll keep out of the way, or I’ll thump them good.”

Remus suddenly said, “Did anyone fill you in on the conditions of my employment?” 

Yusuke met his concerned gaze with a mild one of his own. “Yes. Very wise of you. I approve.”

Anyone in England would have been astonished to see two grown men, English Wizards, calmly obeying the orders of a boy of 16. But both men had been told enough stories that they were willing to do this ‘favor’ for their host. After all, he’d rescued both of them in one way or another.

Beside the fact that he was nothing like anything they’d expected. 

“Ok, Bossu, let’s do this.” Sirius straightened up. He remembered Lily always fussing at him for slouching. One of the reasons he did so was that he didn’t want to look too much like his father, broad shoulders and rather impressive height ran in the Black family. He was much bigger than he seemed at first, and his hail fellow, well met persona could be dropped easily. 

Remus, too, was a bit of a ‘tired tiger’. He had always maintained a rather mild mannered air. In fact, he was rather mild mannered, that did not mean that he was a pushover. The fact that he was still alive proved he was tough. And James and Sirius could both have told you long ago that, when angered, he was more than capable of creating havoc. The thumping he’d given Sirius for his stupid trick on Snape proved that. Madam Pomfrey had not been pleased, not at all. 

“Yeah, let’s do this.”

Remus led the way, with Sirius right behind him. The Yōjinbō targeted them at once. Yusuke caught the eye of the floor boss and signaled him, with a slight movement of his head, to step away. A glance at their boss sent all the Yōjinbō back to their positions around the room.

Yusuke led the way back to the cash room, which didn’t actually contain that much cash. Gambling is illegal in Japan, so the pachinko parlor offered prizes instead. The prizes were gimcracks of the worst sort, made to be durable, not pretty. These prizes were given to the patron who then took it next door to sell it for cash. then the prize was returned to the parlor and to the shelf. The happy patron could claim that he didn’t gamble for money, he just sold a prize he didn’t want. The redemption store, on the other hand, had a buzz through vestibule, bullet proof glass and two huge Yōjinbō at each end of the counter. 

Yusuke pushed into the cash room and greeted the owner. “Yoshimura-san, how’s business?” then he stepped to the side of the door and leaned casually against the wall. “Sirius?”

“Yes, Kumicho?” Sirius straightened his shoulders, tugged his cuffs to the perfect set and waited.

“Explain to me why this one seems to think he is an oyabun.” Yusuke let his eyes drift around the room.

“Can’t. I don’t know.” Sirius turned to the now trembling man. “Perhaps you could tell me. Yes?”

The Yoshimura gulped, “Business is fine, young boss. Shiriusu-san, what is this?”

Sirius just watched Yoshimura for a few moments, making the man squirm and sweat. Then he said, “Seems to me you think way too much of yourself. Seems to me ... you need to reconsider your claim to authority that you do not have.”

Yoshimura sputtered, “But ... But ... I am one of the biggest businesses you have. I deserve the respect.”

Yusuke jerked his head at Remus. Remus leaned backwards so his young boss could speak in his ear. “He’s not even got his cup and he wants to be an oyabun?” his snort ruffled the hair on Remus’ neck.

Remus shrugged. “Some people.” His expression gave his opinion. 

Sirius continued to lean into Yoshimura’s personal space, making the man more uncomfortable by the second. “So, you think you’re a big business?” he chuckled coldly. “Not really. Actually you’re a very small fish in a very big pond. Sort of a minnow in the ocean. And you haven’t made your bones either.”

“B-b-bones?” Yoshimura just knew his bragging had gotten him in a mess. 

Remus said, just loud enough for Yoshimura to hear. “Doesn’t even know what that means and he’s wanting to be a boss? Seems to me his mouth has written a paper his ass can’t cash.”

“Exactly.” Yusuke ran his eyes over Yoshimura in a cold evaluation that obviously found him lacking.

Yoshimura, for his part, was now desperately regretting his mouth. “Boss, boss, I ... I just wanted ... how do I make this right?”

Remus sighed, “Well, damn. I was so hoping to get in on this.” 

Sirius just gave him the stink eye then returned to glowering at his target.

Yusuke considered for a moment. “Your protection payments have gone up by 10 per cent. And you post a hand written apology on your front windows. I’ll have someone write it out, you copy it and post it within three hours of receipt.” and with that, he turned and left.

Sirius thought about shoving the man, but one of the reasons he was so effective as a collector was, he didn’t push people around. And he was gaijin so he got to the point without all the polite dancing around that the Japanese didn’t seem to be able to avoid. Not even a Yakuza wanted to be thought rude. Most Yakuza were painfully polite to katagi, which Yoshimura was not, but he wasn’t yakuza either.

Remus wheeled to follow Yusuke with Sirius on his heels, followed by the babbling promises to do exactly as told.

They left after Yusuke had a quick word with the Waka in charge of security. 

Yusuke paused just outside the door to consult his notes. “Which one next?”

“Oyabun Kawasaki. He’s ... reluctant to turn in all his collections. He says that, as he collected them, he should keep most of it. He’s angling for a 40-60 split, with us taking the 40.” Sirius actually had all the details in his head.

Yusuke just scowled at that. “40 per cent? He’s lost his mind. Remusu? Suggestions?”

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks. They both wondered what their godson was up to. Both of them considered themselves Harry’s godfathers, even though Remus wasn’t legally able. 

Remus, more a planner than Sirius, thought for a moment. “How much of an example do you want to make?”

Harry thought for a moment. “I want to scare them all so badly that they think ten times before getting out of line again. Not yubisume, I don’t feel like dealing with the mess, but ...” He stopped to think and Sirius had an idea.

“Ask for it. Then show him mercy at the last minute.” Sirius’ expression was just short of feral. 

Remus nodded. “Great idea, Padfoot. Let him know what road he’s headed down, without setting him on it.”

Sirius thought for a moment. “Look there’s two oyabun wanna-be’s that need correction too. Use them as an example then bring Kawasaki in. Or, if he’s in HQ, get him in the observers room then bring him to heel.”

Yusuke approved the suggestion with a nod, saying, “Yes, this is good. Make the arrangements, bring both of the wanna-be’s to HQ. You know where the large meeting room, the formal one, is?”

Sirius, who’d gotten a grand tour, nodded. “I do.”

“I’ll have it ready. Fold them right in.” Yusuke just walked off, confident that they’d obey his orders. If they didn’t? Well, they still had a place, just not in the hierarchy.

Remus gave Sirius a sideways look. “You realize that he’s testing us, right?”

“I do. Much more like Lily than James. Bother you? Him testing us, I mean.”

Sirius waited while Remus thought about that. “No, not really. He doesn’t know us. We’d both be crazy if we insisted on him treating us as we ‘deserve’.” He made air quotes.

“So.” Sirius nodded. “I’m a collection agent. What do you think of being dumb muscle.”

Remus just laughed. “Couldn’t care less. This last little while, taking care of myself for the first time in my life. It’s nice. We always did pull well in harness. Why should it be any different now?”

Sirius just clapped Remus on the shoulder, said, “Shouldn’t.” then read off the first address. They folded off to pick up the two targets.

.

It didn’t take Yusuke long to make his arrangements, just a ‘cattle call’ in one of the huge recreation hall/card parlors to make up a suitable retinue. He had his own people but, for this, anyone would do. All it amounted to was sitting around gossiping, playing cards, drinking and glowering at the two miscreants. It also allowed him to catch Kawasaki in the call.

He settled on the middle zabuton of the raised Senior table with empty zabuton on each side of him, ready for Remus and Sirius to take places on either side of him. These places would be reserved for his Wakagashira and Saiko Komon but neither of them was available. Beside the fact that Yusuke wanted to see how the two Engrishu would deal with what was going to happen next.

He was drinking his second cup of sake when Remus folded in with the younger Oyabun, Jun no other name. Sirius followed a second or two later with Oyabun Sasaki Makoto.

Yusuke nodded his approval when they folded in right behind the two small, thin mats placed in the middle of the room, on what seemed to be an acre of highly polished mahogany flooring. 

Remus tapped his passenger on the shoulder, “Kneel.”

Sirius just shoved his in the middle of his back. The men knelt quickly.

Yusuke looked Remus in the eye then flicked them to his right. He did the same with Sirius only looking to the left instead. The two men moved to the indicated places.

The men gathered on the thick zabuton around the edge of the room continued to whisper and snicker. After all, getting drunk on the young lord’s sake, while helping him to take two upstarts down a peg or two could only be thought of as great fun.

Both men were now sweating heavily, well aware that their young boss was not happy.

“I would like you to explain to me why you think you deserve the honors you have been demanding.” Yusuke’s tone of voice should have given them frost bite. He waited while both men contemplated the depth of the shit they were in. “Well? I am waiting.”

Jun looked anywhere but at his Kumicho, he knew he was in deep trouble. He was a third rank Yakuza, and not even in the direct chain of command of the Yamaguchi clan. He was in a subordinate clan.

Sasaki was also regretting his rash decision to assume an attitude above his station. The young boss had had an eye on him for sometime now. He’d assumed that it was because he needed the advice of an older and, presumably, wiser head. Now, it seemed, that old head’s weren’t necessarily wiser.

Yusuke snapped his fingers and two men scurried out of a side room. Each man, a very junior gaki chosen for their low rank, carried a small table which they placed in front of the two miscreants. On the table, placed just so, were a tanto, a cloth and a small paper box. 

Jun got a good look at the table and panicked. He jumped up and ran at Yusuke, screaming incoherently. Remus was on his feet at the same time Yusuke was. 

Yusuke snatched his Glock out of mallet space and dropped into ready stance. Remus, on the other hand, just snarled at Jun, blocked his charge with a shoulder and picked the smaller man up. He gathered him up like a recalcitrant child and dumped him back in his place, pointed a finger at his face and snarled, “Stay!” Jun settled in a kneel, head bowed.

While Remus was handling Jun, Sirius was taking care of Sasaki.

Sasaki knew much better than to break his kneel, but Sirius didn’t know that so he changed in to Padfoot, got right into Sasaki’s face and bared his teeth. Sasaki trembled to be confronted by a dog that looked like a huge black Akita Inu with the blunt muzzle of a Rottweiler who was about the size of an Irish Wolfhound. And had more teeth that anyone could possibly be comfortable with. He just hung his head and murmured, “I am truly sorry. I offer my most humble apologies and yubisume.”

Jun, on the other hand, exploded, swearing at them all and kicking out at Remus. He finished his tirade by demanding, “Let me go! You have no right to do anything to me. Only my own boss does.”

No one jumped when one of the lounging men just announced, “No, you are not. You are a shame to me and the clan.” He got up and bowed to Yusuke. “Forgive me for choosing such a fool.”

Yusuke nodded to him. “You are excused. Please leave me ... and take that with you.”

“As you will, young lord.” the lesser kumicho just grabbed Jun by the ear, excused himself to a gold eyed Remus and dragged the idiot out. He was never seen again.

Sasaki just waited to be told what was required of him. 

“Oji-Shiriusu, please.” Yusuke indicated Sirius place. “Rejoin me.” He waited while Sirius did so. “Now, I could require Yubitsumi but, frankly, I don’t feel like dealing with the mess. Sasaki..” Sasaki winced visibly at the lack of honorific. “go home. Meditate on my mercifulness. And do not draw my attention again. Do you understand?”

Sasaki nodded, gulped and started babbling his thanks as he bowed his way to the back door, never turning his back on the dais.

Yusuke glanced around. He knew exactly where Oyabun Kawasaki was seated but he made a show of looking for him. Finally he gave a soft, “Ah.” he leaned over to speak to Remus who got up and moved to sit behind Yusuke on his left. 

Yusuke motioned to Kawasaki and said, “Oyabun Kawasaki, join me for a moment.”

Kawasaki strutted up to take the seat that Remus had vacated, leaving himself with Yusuke to his right with Remus behind and to one side of him.

“Yes, Miyamoto-Kumicho. How may I help you?” The man obviously thought that Yusuke was going to ask for his advice.

“Oh, I thought I might be of some help to you. You see ...” he paused for a moment. “There is a fine line between love and hate, helpfulness and intrusiveness. You see?” Yusuke produced his cigarette case and proceeded to make a show of extracting a cigarette, tapping it down and lighting it. He drew in a lungful and blew it out gently.

Kawasaki started to sweat. He didn’t need to guess at what was going on, he just wondered if he was going to be allowed to escape with all his fingers. “No, I don’t think I do. If I have caused some insult, I’ll be happy to offer redress.” He cast Yusuke a hopeful look. Surely, this young boy was still acting on the advice of his father.

Yusuke eyed him for a moment then gazed off into the distance. “My father is ... exceptional. In many ways and for many reasons. I remember sitting on his lap as he arranged splits with his subordinates. I believe I was about nine.” He flicked his eyes to Kawasaki. “Yes, a bit old for lap sitting, but then I was deprived as a baby. He told me never to accept less than a 75 percent cut.” He sucked in smoke and blew it out, right into Kawasaki’s face. “My personal rule is never less than 80 per cent. I don’t take it off gross though, I take it off net. Unless someone tries to cut me out, then I take 85 per cent of gross and damn them if they don’t pay.” Kawasaki paled. “You do know what happens to those who don’t pay.” It wasn’t a question, Yusuke knew very well that Kawasaki knew what happened to collectors who didn’t pay up, he’d dealt with it on the payee side often enough.

Kawasaki was floundering, he wasn’t sure exactly what was going on and to ask outright? It just wasn’t done. “Yes, I know. I’m partial to a broken leg, myself. If you break the knee, it can cripple the client. A crippled man can’t pay. Or won’t. Fingers don’t ... make the right impression.”

“I see. I’m partial to a finger for the first offense, an arm for the second. There should be no third.” Yusuke blew smoke again, this time into the air in front of him. “I think you’ll understand.” Then Yusuke moved so suddenly that no one really saw it. The sharp crack of a bone breaking echoed throughout the room.

Kawasaki just sat there for a moment, then the pain hit him. “Itai! My finger!” He clasped his broken hand with the other, trying to ease the pain.

Suddenly Yusuke was all over the man, one hand clamped on his thigh, keeping him from standing up, the other grasped both his hands and squeezed. “Sit!

Kawasaki yelped and sat back down. “Boss. Please.”

Yusuke glanced over his shoulder at Remus. “Remove him, please.”

Remus just grabbed Kawasaki by the back of his coat and hauled him up. As he was dragged out, all the observers snickered at him. Kawasaki let his head hang. He’d thought he could put something over on his younger superior, but Miyamoto-kumicho had proved him wrong. Painfully. At least he still had a finger.

Yusuke nodded to Sirius, smirked and said, “Please dismiss the men with thanks, then meet me in the underground garage. We’ll deal with the Garutachimoto next.” with that he got up and walked away, leaving Sirius and Remus to deal with dismissing the men.

Remus rejoined Sirius while Sirius was giving his orders to clean up the room and return to whatever they’d been doing. The gaki and low ranking wakashu scurried to obey. No one wanted to anger a were, or a man who could turn into a devil dog. Not to mention their young Kumicho.   
.

Yusuke smirked at his two honorary uncles as he led them down into the underground garage. “Hope you two know how to ride a muggle motorcycle. One of the few things the Japanese government is really particular about is flying motor vehicles. Scares the locals too much.”

He led them to an area of the garage devoted to motorcycles. All Japanese, of course, all top of the line and none more than five years old. Most of them had been tweaked in one way or another, fatter tires, lower suspensions, or some other modification. And the paint jobs were all works of art.

Yusuke waved a negligent hand and said, “Pick one. Except that one.” That one was a monster, a 1200cc Yamaha special motor mounted on a handmade frame of tubular titanium alloy with the wide tires that had become popular recently. The tank, fenders and guards had been painted a deep, gold metallic forest green; his helmet matched the paint job.

It only took one wave of his hand to exchange their clothing for riding leathers. The leathers weren’t what you’d expect. The pants were loose in the hips, for ease of riding, and the jackets were cut extra long in the back to prevent them from exposing a wide strip of skin while riding. But they still looked like exactly what they were, dangerous men.

Sirius whipped out a pair of magical sunglasses. They were dark to everyone looking at Sirius but clear to him. Remus followed suit. Yusuke smirked at them and produced a pair of wraparound sunglasses. He grinned put them in a pocket, shoved his helmet on and mounted his motor. “Put on a damn helmet.” Then he turned the motor over and took off with a screech of tires.

Remus caught the helmet someone tossed to him, slapped it on and chased after Yusuke. Sirius was only seconds behind him. They caught up to Yusuke within the block and formed up in a V shape with Yusuke at point.

Yusuke knew exactly where to find the Garutachimoto, the warehouse district. There were many areas, down on the docks, that were nearly abandoned for one reason or another. The garutachi, common thugs, took them over on a regular basis. The Yamaguchi protection group were paid to run them off. This bunch maintained several premises and moved from one to the other, like rats running from one squat to another. Burn them out in one place and they just showed up somewhere else. 

Miyamoto Musashi had had men watching for the last week to make sure that Yusuke could find them without trouble. 

It only took about ten minutes to get from the Yamaguchi HQ to the warehouse. Yusuke motioned Sirius and Remus to the side of the street for a quick consultation then they were back on the streets.

When they reached the warehouse, they didn’t bother to stop. Yusuke waved his hand and the doors exploded inward and they roared right through and into the middle of the huge space.

When the doors exploded inward, all the garutachi jumped; some grabbed for weapons, others ran for the back. A wave of Yusuke’s hand made sure the back doors wouldn’t open, ever. Some of those boys dropped to the floor, covering their heads; others turned back to the main group.

Yusuke, Remus and Sirius waited until the noise and scurrying around calmed down, patiently sitting on their motors.

When the panic finally settled, Yusuke barked, “Oi! Pay attention now. This is going to stop. My father does not like the messes you make. They are bad for business. This garutachimoto-gumi is now dissolved. Anyone who takes exception to my words may make himself known. Now!”

They watched as the group of about 50 divided into three smaller groups. One was of older garutachi, the sort that already knew what was what. Another was of very young men, aged about 16 to about 19, they didn’t know anything about anything. Then there was the third group, made up of 20 somethings, they thought they knew everything there was to know about anything important. 

Sirius sized up the groups easily, a quick glance at Remus then Yusuke let him know that they had also taken the measure of their opponents. “Well?”

Yusuke flicked a quick glance over at him, pulled a cigarette out of nowhere and lit it. “Give them a few seconds. I don’t want to fight with the young ones, they don’t know any better. And most of the older ones are already trying to figure a way out. Don’t crowd them.”

Remus nodded, pulling his helmet off and putting it on the back rack. “If we don’t crowd them, maybe they’ll take most of the babies with them?”

Sirius thought about that for a moment then turned to Yusuke. “We going to let them?”

“Yes. I don’t want the followers, I want the leaders. Once they’ve been dealt with, the rest will go away, back into the sewers they crawled out of.” Yusuke let his opinion of the garutachimoto show. 

No yakuza liked the garutachi, they were the common thugs of Japan. The sort of person who ran drugs in his own neighborhood and whored their sisters out. They were garutachi, violent ones, not rippana dansei. No yakuza would ‘shit in his nest’ like these fools.

Yusuke was pleased to see that both Sirius and Remus calmly followed his lead. This looked to him like they really wanted to stay with him, support him. While he knew that his adoptive father and brothers would back him to the death, it still felt good to know that his parent’s friends would too. This gave him support in the English world that he hadn’t had before. His wakashu in England were support but Sirius and Remus understood the English where none of them did.

Remus watched one side, Sirius watched the other and Yusuke pretended he wasn’t watching anyone. None of the garutachimoto believed that for a second.

The older group merged with the younger and managed to get most of them out the only door fairly quickly. They would all disperse into the shadows they emerged from, breaking up the group of trouble makers. 

The remaining group, of about fifteen, faced off with Yusuke and his uncles. 

Yusuke sneered, “So, you...” He glared at the obvious leader, “and your aniki really want to do this?”

The leader, easy to identify by his gold helmet, sneered back, “We don’t answer to a toy-boy.”

Sirius just snickered then remarked, “But some toys are really dangerous.”

Yusuke shrugged, dismounted and pulled off his jacket. He dumped it on the saddle and stepped away from his motor, Sirius and Remus followed suit and they waited. There was no need to start anything and word would get around that they had not been the aggressors. This would make a good impression on the katagi, something not to be ignored.

“OK, obviously nice isn’t working.” Yusuke counted out loud. “Sixteen. I’ll take the middle ten, you two deal with the three on either side. Ready?”

Sirius and Remus watched with amusement as Yusuke’s casual remark angered all their opponents. A true fact, angry men make mistakes. This anger led to the mistake of trying to surround Yusuke and ignoring the other two men. 

Remus was easy to dismiss, he actually did look more like a college professor or a librarian than someone capable of ripping off your arm. Fact was, he was both capable of and ready to either teach or fight. In this case, he was more than ready to rip off a few arms and use them as clubs.

Sirius was still very thin, putting on muscle rather than just weight took time, and his usual casual slouch hid the fact that he was physically capable. He’d been taking lessons in martial arts as part of his recovery. He was also well able to cast several very nasty spells wordlessly and wandlessly. Needless to say, the idea of casting on muggles didn’t bother Sirius that much. They were attacking helpless civilians, katagi, and destroying their livelihoods. 

The attempt to surround Yusuke left most of the garutachi with their backs to Remus and Sirius. This was not a good idea. Remus jumped on one of the larger garutachi and punched him in the kidney. The man went down with a moan and stayed down. The shock of the punch left him breathless and in agony. Several more men fell in a similar manner, as both Remus and Yusuke’s flying fists and feet left them incapable of more than moaning or trying to suck in much needed air.

Sirius was taking down his fair share of opponents, loving the fight for what it was. His family training was turning out to be useful in this new life. The Black family reputation of being ‘dark’ was ignored here, they were only interested in what he could do for his new family. He loved that and was delighted to show it. This led to him using several combat spells for the first time in his life. One was a simple binding spell, but it could only be removed by another spell finite incantatum wouldn’t do it. He used this spell to bind the three youngest men so they wouldn’t get into the conflict and be hurt.

Another spell was a bit more harsh, it was a spell that was a combination of a bludgeoning spell and a cutting spell. Very nasty and the result was very hard to heal. He only used it once, on the man that was trying to sneak up on Yusuke and stab him in the back. 

Between Sirius’ hexes, Remus’ physical attacks, and Yusuke’s combined combat techniques, it didn’t take more than a few minutes to deal with every opponent.

The few moments of frantic activity had warmed them up just enough to make Sirius hyper. “Oh, man! Just the thing!” Sirius bounced on the balls of his feet, heels tapping the concrete floor. “What’s next?”

Yusuke glanced around. “First we spank the younglings. Then we dispose of the mess. Don’t want to leave it for the okami, it’s not polite. Then?” he shrugged.

Remus, more practical than Sirius, just started moving the dead into a neat pile by the door. “This going to be ok? I don’t really think we should leave them out in the open, there’s women and children about, even here.”

Sirius nodded, saying mock gravely, “Yes, there are.” He moved to help Remus. “Yusuke, one question?”

“Sure, two even.” Yusuke grinned at Sirius.

“Brat. But, why let all those others go? Just need to establish some guidelines. See?” Sirius moved a body.

“There was no need to do anything to most of them. Rip out the spine and the dumb muscle just collapses. We ripped out the spine, the rest will talk and add to our face.” Yusuke watched and smoked. He didn’t deal with messes like this, that was what he had wakashu and gaki for.

Sirius nodded. “I’m really proud of you. Great teacher, that Musashi-san. I’ve yet to meet your brothers and I can’t wait.” He checked the area, then vanished the blood from the floor.

Remus nodded his head to the three bound 17 and 18 year olds. “What about them? We can’t just leave them, can we?”

Yusuke shook his head. “No, we can’t. Sirius?” Sirius obliged by unbinding them, then he and Remus shepherded them over to stand in front of Yusuke.

“Well?” Yusuke eyed them one by one. “Any of you idiots have anything intelligent to say?” He waited while the three shifted on their feet, glancing at each other. Yusuke growled, “I’m waiting.”

Finally, the oldest and bravest managed, “Um. No, Oojisama, I don’t think so.”

Yusuke made an irritated sound. “So. Go home to your parents and stop trying to be tough. You’ll only wind up dead. Shoo!”

Two of the boys scampered to their motors and left in a cloud of rubber smoke. The last one just looked after them helplessly. “Sir. Kumicho. I don’t have anywhere to go. My parents are both dead and my only other family is an aunt. She ... doesn’t like me much.”

Yusuke felt a pang of sympathy. “I see.” he glanced at Sirius who just nodded. 

Remus didn’t even bother, he just poked the boy and said, “Well? Get on your motor.”

They all mounted up, roaring away into the night.

When they reached the garage it didn’t take more than a moment to turn the boy over to the head mechanic. The head was delighted to find a new broom man and the boy was pleased to find that he now actually had a room of his own.

Yusuke was pleased that everyone else was pleased.

Sirius sighed, “Well, that was fun.” he looked around, “Now what?”

Yusuke smirked at his uncles. “Now, vacation.”

.

Yōjinbō - body guard (also a hired guard, i.e. security)  
Garutachimoto - a ‘mash’ word I made up (as far as I know) to describe the motorcycle gang Yusuke breaks.

Rippana dansei - honorable men.

Next chapter, vacation on the snowy slopes of Hokkaido (Winter Olympics 1972) and [maybe] Christmas.

Also, as I am doing NaNo 893 is on hiatus until December.


	23. Chapter 23

VACATION IN HOKKAIDO

Yusuke smiled at his godfather, the man was incorrigible. He was also fun. Right now, he wanted to ride the bullet train. Yusuke was inclined to indulge him. He also wanted to visit an onsen, a volcanic bath. 

This was easy, Yusuke controlled one of the finest in Hokkaido. It was private, on the clan’s property and strictly managed, male only. He kept it because most Yakuza had trouble getting into, or getting to stay in, katagi managed baths. The second the attendants saw the tattoos, they asked the dansei to leave. They usually did, unless they were drunk.

SoAnd, that was why Yusuke maintained a bath for his people. They could get drunk, didn’t have to worry about getting tossed out and they could bring guests without worrying about being embarrassed. 

Yusuke had settled on calling Sirius ‘Shiriusu-oji’ and Remus ‘Remusu-aniki’, which translated loosely as Uncle Sirius and Big Brother Remus. He also called some of his men ‘aniki’; the older one’s he still looked to for guidance when he needed it. He was well aware that his father had ‘planted’ a few advisers on him. He didn’t mind a bit, he felt that it showed that his father cared. He was careful to make sure he knew whom they were, and he was always polite to them. He could always kill them later, if he found out that their advice wasn’t as good as he expected. 

Many would wonder why Yusuke had plants, but it was simple; he couldn’t always have his officers with him, they had a lot of other things to deal with. His unofficial advisors were always around him, one way or another. So he listened to them, considered their advice, then did as he thought best. He was more often right than not.

“Shiriusu-Oji, we’re going to fold to Tokyo then take the Shinkansen back. Behave yourself or I’ll smack you. Don’t want the katagi to have fits, you know.” Yusuke watched as Sirius and Remus both gave him ‘who me?’ looks. “Come on then.”

They arrived in a fairly large room in Tokyo Station. It was fairly full of milling Japanese magicals. They all made way for the group that surrounded Yusuke, Sirius and Remus. Yusuke had always made sure that his men respected the katagi, he hated public scenes, unless they served a purpose. 

In fact, he began telling Remus and Sirius a story of how to use a public scene to advantage.

Flashback

Yusuke, at thirteen, was already shaping up as a great kumicho. Right now, he was working on a way to bring a protesting restauranteur back into line.

He was a bad apple in more ways than one. First, he kept a filthy kitchen. Second, he was encouraging, read badgering, people into refusing to pay for legitimate laundry, cleaning and garbage collection. All the services that were offered, were delivered, protection was built into the fees. That protection included protection from scammers of all kinds.

Yusuke settled seiza on a mat and picked up the cup that appeared in front of him. “I don’t know exactly what to do. Perhaps he should just find out what happens when he doesn’t pay? But ... I don’t want those who do pay to be worried. So ...” he thought for a few more seconds then glanced around. All the men in the room were focused on his face. “Suggestions?”

Since Genji-sama was sitting in on the meeting, they all looked at him first. He just shrugged, “Make an example of him is good. But how ... that is the problem.” he settled back comfortably on his heels and waited.

Miyamoto Ren, Yusuke’s brother and Azukarinin, gave his opinion, “One of the many things that you protect him from should happen. Perhaps someone should get sick in the main dinning room?”

Yusuke nodded, “Someone that no one would suspect of being in on a scam.” heads nodded. “Yes?”

A man was brave enough to ask, “But who, Kumicho?”

Yusuke gave the gathered group a wide eyed, innocent ‘young boy’ look. “Oh? Me, of course.”

It didn’t take long for them to get organized. 

Yusuke and two of his older men went into the restaurant as a father, uncle and young boy. Ostensibly on a day out to see the sights and eat. They settled at a table and placed an order.

Yusuke ordered an omurice with chicken. The two men ordered takoyaki and okonomiyaki respectively.

When the food came, it was disgusting; the takoyaki was dark on the outside and underdone inside. The okonomiyaki batter had an odd smell and the other ingredients were obviously old. Yusuke’s omurice smelled rancid and looked runny in the middle. 

They bravely cut into their food but neither of the two men had to put a bite in their mouths. Just as they were about to, Yusuke let out a loud cry.

“Aniki!” Yusuke put a hand to his mouth then pulled it away, covered in blood. “I’m bleeding!” He jumped up from his seat and started to sob loudly. “There was something sharp in my omurice!” Tears poured down his face, courtesy of his ability to cry on demand. “I’m killed! I’m dying!” 

The two men jumped up and began loudly shushing him. “Hush! You’ll be fine. Don’t cry!”

But Yusuke continued to make a scene until the whole restaurant was aware of the fact that he’d bitten into something sharp in his food. His screams and sobs made sure of that.

Finally, after making sure that as many people as possible saw his bloody mouth, they got out the door, one of the men carrying Yusuke in his arms.

They got into their car, one of the men shouting that the owner would be getting a bill from the hospital. That attracted the attention of people on the street and the rubber necking and gossiping began. The restaurant boarded up a month later and it still remains boarded up to this day.

End Flashback.

Yusuke finished telling the story just as their train began boarding. Sirius looked at Remus with a grin. “Well, good way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”

Remus just nodded, a slight smile on his face. He did have to ask, “Where did the blood come from? A spell?”

Yusuke smirked, “No, a blood pellet. Muggle movie thing. It’s a plastic pellet, filled with special effect fake blood. I tucked it between my gum and teeth then bit down on it. Mixed with saliva, it looks like you’re bleeding to death.”

They got on the train and found their reserved seats. After a bit of scrambling and shuffling, they settled in for the ride.

Yusuke’s plan was to ride the Shinkansen up to Aomori Station then fold back to the compound. The onsen was only a short hike from the main compound and an easy one at that.

Sirius was like a kid, the only train he’d ever been on was the Hogwarts Express. His delight at everything Shinkansen related was evident in his eyes. 

Remus had been on English trains before so he was a little less excited, but he was interested in the speed the train was supposed to reach. 

They looked out the windows to watch the train speed up, scenery racing by at an increasing pace. Yusuke had seen this many times but it never failed to impress him. Sirius and Remus, however, were amazed. They kept exclaiming, pointing and whispering to each other. Yusuke enjoyed their enjoyment. His men kept their own council, what their kumicho chose to do was not their business. Their business was to be on hand to obey any order he gave.

Two hours into the ride they stopped at Fukushima. Everyone had to get off and change trains. This allowed them to walk around, get something to eat and return to a clean train. 

The bento at Fukushima was considered to be very good and the menu was impressive. Yusuke just waved at one of his men. The man came over and Yusuke handed him some money. “Bento for everyone. Just get enough of what they have for everyone to have one.” The man bowed and scurried away.

It didn’t take him long to return, along with another man who helped carry, with a pile of bento boxes. He handed them around, saving the bottom three for last. These he offered to Sirius, Remus and last Yusuke.

No one stared when the man just opened the bento and held it. He waited for Yusuke to start eating, which he did, after asking if the man had food of his own. “Oh, yes, Yusuke-Kumicho, a brother is holding it for me. Thank you so much for asking.” Yusuke went back to his food after a satisfied nod.

Sirius blinked once then looked at Remus. Remus just smirked back at him and mumbled, “He’s a good boss. Leave it.”

Sirius’ retorted with a laugh. “Doesn’t bother me a bit. Kreacher held Mother’s teacup for her.”

Remus made a face, remembering the evil little elf.

They had just finished eating when the call to board sounded. The mellow gong initiated a mad rush to return the bento boxes to the shop, get on the train and find their seats. In everyone but the yakuza. They sauntered onto the train, leaving the boxes for younger gaki to deal with, found their seats and settled in. The two youngest gaki folded in just before the last warning sounded. Yusuke enjoyed watching the other passengers scurry around. 

Sirius was very impressed with the comfort and cleanliness of the train. The speed was a wonder to him but, the ride was actually rather boring. All they did was sit in their seats and watch the countryside slide by in a blur. Brooms were much more fun. He sighed, shifted and recrossed his legs.

Remus had known this was going to happen. He’d brought a chess set, a book and a pack of cards. Now he pulled out the cards, motioned to the two men facing them to belly up and started dealing. Yusuke smirked behind a fan, folded it up and got out some files. He started reading, secure in the knowledge that Remus would keep Sirius from drawing too much unwanted attention to the group. 

.

They reached the station at Aomori in early afternoon and disembarked in the usual crowd. Most of the people gave the yakuza group a wide berth, but one man seemed to have a death wish. He barged between the two men behind Yusuke and shoved him. Yusuke slipped to one side and drew down on the man. Remus grabbed him from behind while Sirius got between Yusuke and the man; dubbed Dumbshit, just for a name to call him.

Sirius hissed softly, “Yūshi, easy.” Yusuke tucked his pistol away, mayhem stopped, for now.

Remus pushed Dumbshit away, snarling, “Watch who you’re pushing.” He got a shove back that made him stumble. He was more surprised than anything. He surely wasn’t hurt by a shove from a drunk, but Yusuke reacted with speed and precision. The snap of a bone breaking didn’t startle the yakuza, but bystanders jumped.

Dumbshit grabbed his arm with a cry of pain. Yusuke got right in his face. “You do not shove my dansei. My Aniki in particular.” 

Yusuke turned and stalked away, coat tails flaring. His companions followed, forming up around him quickly. They paid no attention to the small disturbance as people hurried to either get away from, or help, the pushy, drunken man.

Sirius glanced at Remus then muttered, “Pity Dumbledore, I think he’s already on the wrong side of that kid.”

Remus grumbled, “He’s on my wrong side too. You have no idea.”

Yusuke, overhearing them, just remarked, “Ojiisan Agohigi will find out that the Death Eaters is not the only group on my wrong side.” He gave them both a warning look then continued on his way.

Remus mouthed ‘Grandfather Longbeard?’ while Sirius nearly fell over with a snickering fit.

They got back to the family compound in time for supper.

.

Miyamoto Musashi settled at his table and watched as his family sat down around him. He smiled at his sons as they sat on either side of him. “Yes, this is good.” He signaled and the food was served. “Well, my sons, speak to me.” This was the opening for any of his sons to discuss anything they wanted with him.

Yusuke decided to bite the bullet and confess. “Father, I am not sure what is going on. I have developed a distressing tendency to ... speak too much. So far, it has only been with my two friends but I have had to silence myself a couple of times with Dumbledore. It is most uncomfortable.”

Musashi-sama examined his usually taciturn son. “That is worrisome. Let me see.” He motioned with his hand. “This is not acceptable. You have been cursed. Not acceptable at all.”

Yusuke smothered his fury, throwing a tantrum wasn’t dignified. No, he wasn’t going to throw an undignified tantrum like a child. He was just going to kill whoever had cursed him.

“Can you tell who did it?” Sirius scowled. He didn’t like the idea of anyone messing with his godson.

“No, but I can show you the magical signature. Perhaps you will recognize it.” He let them see the scattering of colored points of light that he used to identify a magical signature.

Sirius shook his head. “Sorry, don’t recognize it. Remus?”

Remus shook his head as well. “Not Dumbledore. He tried that early on and Yusuke ditched it.”

Musashi-sama scowled at that. “This random cursing of my son is going to stop.” he made a motion with his hand and Genji came forward with a small box.

“Oyabun.” Genji put the box down by Yusuke’s place. “Put that on. It’ll protect you from most hexes and warn you if someone tries to sneak something on to you.”

Yusuke just took the platinum twisted rope bracelet from the box and clasped it around his wrist. “Very nice. Thank you, Father, Genji.”

Musashi-sama nodded once. “Welcome. It’s engraved with protective kanji on every link. I wear one. I gave your brothers one when they reached eighteen and became obvious members of the clan. I did not think it would be necessary for you so soon. My protection should be enough.” He looked a bit indignant at the thought of someone ‘pushing the boundaries’ beforehand.

Yusuke just smirked a bit. He’d been expecting such a present on his eighteenth birthday, when he would be an ‘official’ member of the inner circle.

Musashi-sama leaned over and told Genji, “Make a note to remind me to have a word with that Fudge fellow. I don’t like people cursing my sons. Especially when it’s that sort of spell. He could very well start an international incident. The Emperor would not approve.”

Genji just grunted, “Ya, Oyabun. Got it.” and returned to his food.

After that bit of unwelcome news, the talk turned to finances, unruly subordinates and other business.

The meal finally concluded with Musashi-sama assigning Remus and Sirius as Yusuke’s permanent bodyguards. They both grinned and bowed. Sirius announced, “Like I wouldn’t take care of him, no matter what you said.” His rather maniacal grin got a similar one from the whole Miyamoto family. It seemed that, no matter that they didn’t see him often, all the older brothers cared a great deal for Yusuke.

Due to the business, they didn’t get together much, mostly on the several holidays that they celebrated. Those they made a very big deal of. 

Ren-san nodded to Remus, saying, “Remusu-gaijin, I am trusting to you keep those two under control.”

Remus gave him a rather wide-eyed look at the thought of trying to keep either Yusuke or Sirius under any sort of control at all. “As you will, I ... will try to obey.”

Yusuke just made a rude noise in his throat. This earned him a glower from Ichigo and a snicker from Masa. 

The Oyabun just blinked once then announced in a cold voice, “They will do as they are told. I will not have an incident like last time.”

Remus looked blank. Ichigo-san explained, “Someone thought, because of his long hair, that Yusuke-san was a ... pillow boy. He explained that he was not. It involved a sword, severed digits and much blood. The management of the club was not pleased.”

Sirius got that look in his eyes that meant he was looking to do some serious damage. “Who was it? Where does he live?”

Masa chuckled softly. His cold, “Don’t worry about it. He’s ... unavailable for the present. Or ever.” made several men shiver. Sirius just nodded his satisfaction.

Yusuke snorted into his tea. He was used to his father and brothers acting like fools, but now he had an over protective werewolf and godfather to deal with. It was good. 

Ichigo-san reached into his jacket pocket and put some papers on the table. “Here. These are your reservations. Thank Kuma for the arrangements. We’ll all meet back here for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and ... what you call Boxing Day? Tomorrow, the baths. Then, after Christmas, a ski resort, high in the mountains. It’s very nice.”

Sirius nodded. “Yes, it’s a day for family and relaxing after all the parties and such.”

Yusuke just handed the tickets to a gaki, saying, “Here, you’re responsible for these now.” the man bowed carefully and tucked them away.

.

Sirius’ desire to visit an onsen was granted the next day. First, they had a traditional Japanese breakfast of rice, miso, tamagoyaki, natto, broiled fish and tsukemono. They ate quickly, mostly because Sirius nagged at them.

Yusuke wiped his mouth and hands with a hot towel then ordered, “Let’s go.” this caused all the men going to the bath to form up in a double line behind Yusuke with Sirius at the head of one and Remus at the head of the other.

The hike was a leisurely one. The whole point of walking down rather than flying by oar or folding was to get into the proper mood. After complaining about the first stop and being shown the view from the edge of the path, Sirius fell into the spirit of the walk and began to calm down. 

They stopped once to see a waterfall. Since the weather was actually freezing, the waterfall was partially frozen. It was beautiful, the frozen parts glittered in the sun, while the still running part gave off a fine mist and a sound of rushing water. The mist turned into snow, covering the ground around the small half frozen pool with drifts of snow.

Then they stopped to look at a vista of the valley below. The ground was covered with snow, pine trees poking above the drifts like green pylons. Fine mist drifted through them, playing hide and seek with rabbits and other small animals.

When they stopped again, it was to feed a small group of Japanese Macaques. Sirius was fascinated by the monkeys, asking all sorts of questions and laughing as they worked up enough nerve to snatch bread from his fingers. Yusuke patiently answered all his questions, also laughing when one of them jumped on his shoulders to pull the tie from his hair. They left after only a few minutes, before the monkeys got too aggressive. 

Remus walked for awhile then asked, “How did you get monkeys clear up here? Aren’t they tropical?”

Yusuke shrugged. “No idea. Anyone?”

One of the older wakashu explained, “Most macaques are but, somehow, Japan has had them forever. They’re more common down south, but we’ve had a small colony up here for ... perhaps three hundred years. We feed them and move the most aggressive one’s down south. Some, we move because the population has gotten too large.”

“How do they keep from freezing in the winter?” Remus glanced around, looking for something to explain this.

“There’s a hot spring in a cave back that way.” The man waved a hand in the general direction the monkeys had come from. “It keeps the cave warm. They stay there most of the time.”

Remus thanked the man for his explanation and settled into a long legged walk that kept up with Yusuke’s quick, gliding steps. Sirius couldn’t help himself and changed into Padfoot to run beside Yusuke. The rest of the dansei kept up as best they could. Their casual amble had changed into a healthy hike that would warm up their muscles for the bath to come.

Yusuke waved a man to his side, handed him money and ordered, “There’s twelve of us. Check the reservations, pay for our entry and see that all the arrangements are as they should be.”

The man bowed quickly and hurried off, running ahead to carry out Yusuke-kumicho’s orders.

The rest of the walk was through the front gardens of the onsen. They were laid out in a traditional pattern, and why not? They were, after all, over four hundred years old. The Zen garden was particularly nice as it was made around natural stones surrounded with blinding white quartz sand; cut sections of log made natural stepping-stones. 

They were met at the door by an old man wearing nothing but a fundoshi and tattoos. He bowed to each one of them as he offered them a small plastic basket. This basket held a fundoshi, soap, a washcloth, a small towel, a scoop and shampoo. Everyone was very polite to the old man. The last person who had been rude hadn’t liked the results, no one likes a broken leg, after all.

After getting their baskets, they took off their shoes and left them in the shoe rack by the door. They entered the vestibule of the bath, there, they were given keys to cubby holes. These were for their clothing , and the reason why all of them had worn jeans, shirts and jackets instead of the usual suits. A suit would not survive being put in one of the cubby holes unwrinkled. The bath did offer a clean and press service, but no one wanted to fool with it. 

They pushed a curtain, called a noren aside and went into the changing area, stripped, stored their clothing and put on a fundoshi, if they were so inclined. Most of the men didn’t bother, Remus didn’t but Sirius did. Yusuke watched them both with amused tolerance.

After storing their clothing, they took a shower and scrubbed thoroughly. Sirius asked, “But, we’re going to take a bath, why shower first?”

Yusuke, hair full of shampoo, answered, “Because they’re communal. No one wants to get into a tub that someone has dirtied. The bath is for soaking and relaxing, after you get clean. Be sure to wash behind your ears and beneath your balls.”

Remus nearly drowned himself, laughing until he slipped on the slick floor. He was still getting used to the Japanese attitude to discussions of body and bodily functions. They finished their ablutions by taking turns sitting on small stools while someone poured scoops of water over their heads. Yusuke twisted his hair into a bun and secured it with several hair stix. 

After they were clean, attendants opened the sliding doors to allow them into the bath proper. This was where things got a bit interesting. Most Japanese baths were enclosed, in order to keep the heat and steam in. This bath was wide open at the back side, allowing a beautiful view of the valley below; spells kept the heat and steam in.

Sirius was excited by this. He examined the spells carefully exclaiming, “Great work. I wonder ...”

Yusuke laughed. “I’ll teach it to you. Nearly everyone associated with a wizard bath knows them.”

Remus settled into the tub near the corner, finding several men he already knew there. Sirius took the one right in the middle and yelped loudly at the heat. Everyone took this with amusement, laughing at him easily. One man did stop to explain that yelling in the bath wasn’t usually accepted so calmly. Noisiness was discouraged, sometimes rather roughly; especially if one of the higher ups had a hangover. He also explained that farting or, worse, pissing in the tub would get him tossed into the snow, at the least. One man had actually been thrown down the cliff into the valley, but he’d been on the outs with a kumicho at the time.

Yusuke settled to smoke and play cards with several of the men, plastic waterproof cards were available from an attendant on request. They played for a while, but the bath made them too lethargic to really enjoy it. Instead, Yusuke demanded stories. Everyone liked stories.

Sirius cleared his throat. “I will start out, Stop me if you’ve heard this. Bit too trite for me. So ... once upon a time, in a place far away from here, there was a bandit. He was an evil man and cruel. He kidnapped a young woman, just because his bath attendant complained about being too old to do the work. 

Now, this young woman was of a warrior family and a warrior in her own right. She was also very smart. So ... she pretended to be terrified of the bandit and too silly to be dangerous. 

It was several weeks before she was trusted to do the job by herself, but finally, the old attendant went to visit a relative and left her there alone. She gathered her supplies; and plenty of wood.

When the bandit arrived, sweating and filthily, from his day of raiding and slaughtering innocent people, she had the bath ready. She bowed humbly and helped him undress, enduring his groping and vulgar remarks. She washed him and readied him for his bath. 

“When you have relaxed enough, I will shave you. Please, get into the bath.” The bandit did and sighed happily. “Is the bath hot enough, Master? If not, I can add more wood. Unless it is too hot?”

Of course the bandit wasn’t about to say it was too hot. “No, no, it’s just right. But you might want to put on some more wood. I don’t want it cooling off.”

So the young woman obediently added more wood. And more wood again. 

As the water slowly heated, the bandit didn’t notice. The heat crept up so slowly that he got used to it. He never noticed when the water started to simmer, then boil. He was long dead by then. Cooked by inches.

When she was sure the bandit was truly dead, the young woman slammed the lid on the tub and hurried off.

She returned to her village in triumph, bearing all the loot from the village, as well as everything else she could carry on his horse.”

Sirius looked around, smirked and announced, “And that is how you cook a man. Or a frog. Although, how a frog could be a bandit, I don’t know.”

There was a polite patter of applause then an older dansei started a story about a geisha and a mouse. Tea was brought and they all relaxed, happily listening until it was their turn.

The bath concluded when an attendant noticed that several of the men had shriveled finger pads, a sure sign that it was time to get out. He called them all out and sent them to cool off in a plunge bath of cooler water, before they were all dried and helped to dress.

Sirius was ecstatic. “Yes, Yusuke-kun, so ... it was very nice. I really liked it. Everyone was telling me how good an onsen was. Especially after I commented on how much I like Japanese bathtubs. Nice and deep.” he bowed properly then continued, “Thank you so much.”

Yusuke smiled sweetly at him. “You are very welcome, Oji-Shiriusu. I am happy to have pleased you.”

Remus just snorted softly. “He’s easily pleased by just about anything.”

Sirius took exception to that and, since they were now off the bath ground, dumped Remus into a snow bank. Remus erupted from the other side and promptly shoved snow down Sirius’ back. By the time the two Marauders were through trying to freeze each other, Yusuke and most of the dansei were laughing themselves silly.

They returned to the compound in good spirits, ate a good meal and retired for the night.

.

In Japan, Christmas is not a religious holiday, it’s just an excuse to exchange presents and have parties. No one even gets a day off. The compound was decorated in Christmas trees, strings of lights and ornaments. 

When Christmas was only four days away, Yusuke slipped away quietly. He spent the day picking out presents for his Father, brothers, Sirius and Remus. The rest of his men would get an envelope with some money in it, each man receiving an amount in relation to his rank.

Everyone spent the days leading up to and including Christmas Day lounging around, playing cards, smoking and gossiping. Yusuke joined in and was pleased to see that his ‘Uncle’ and ‘Big Brother’ fit right in.

Christmas arrived without much fanfare, just a late awakening and a big breakfast. 

That evening, all the family gathered around the table for dinner. All three born Miyamoto’s arrived with their entourage, Yusuke was already there and Sirius and Remus realized that they were included. Sirius was relieved, he had thought that he and Remus would be relegated to the lower tables, reserved for the higher ranking officers.

Musashi-sama stopped both of them with a word. “Come.” He motioned to seats near Yusuke. “Sit.” His own officers were seated across the table from him. 

The seating was a bit awkward as the family side had five men seated at it, while the other side had ten. Each man had his Wakagashira and Fuku-honbucho at table with him. Harry’s Japanese officers didn’t take those places as Sirius and Remus hadn’t ‘formally’ met his family yet. Other officers were seated at the head and foot of the table for their boss.

Dinner was not a massive affair, just soup, main and afters. Most of the present giving would be done privately, between friends. The gift envelopes were handed out by the simple expedite of each Kumicho waving a hand, the envelopes appeared at each place with a soft rustle of paper. This was when the party broke up. All the lesser yakuza picked up their envelopes, bowed to the dais, shouted, “Thank you very much for the present. Merry Christmas!” then left. The Shateigashira and So-honbucho stayed at their places at the head and foot of the table, making sure that all the lesser men left in good order, then they bowed and left too.

This left the Wakagashira and Fuku-honbucho at the high table. Remus glanced at his watch then excused himself announcing, “Moon rise in an hour, excuse me.” He left taking a large cup from a hovering potion master on the way.

Yusuke smiled after him.

Sirius, on the other hand, scowled. “Damnit. I wish he’d been able to stay for presents.”

Yusuke turned the smile on Sirius. “Oh, Oji Shiriusu, he’ll get his present. It’s a new room for him to stay in. Much more comfortable.”

Sirius managed a smile, it still hurt him that Remus was so reluctant to trust the potion the Japanese brewer assured them never failed. 

But Yusuke had a cure for that. “Here, you first.” Yusuke put the box on the table in front of Sirius.

Sirius opened it to find a wallet. “Very nice. Thank you.” Sirius tried to put more enthusiasm in his voice. 

Yusuke just chuckled. “It’s linked directly to your account in Japan. I ... took the liberty of moving your money here. I do not trust the English Ministry of Magic as far as I could throw the Imperial Palace.”

Sirius brightened. “Oh, well, thank you very much.” He’d been well aware that the ministry was up to something with his finances, but hadn’t been able to find out what. Now, he was happy to realize that, somehow, Yusuke had moved all his money to Japan. The wallet was just his way of telling Sirius he was safe, in more ways than one.

Sirius was a bit put out to realize that most of the presents were either money or expensive foods or liquor. Miyamoto Masa gave everyone melons of various types and sizes. Miyamoto Ichigo gave bottles of scotch, sake and whiskey wrapped in fancy paper. Miyamoto Ren gave money, while Miyamoto Musashi gave swords or knives, according to rank and the taste of the receiver. Yusuke gave candy, liquor, fancy foods such as cheeses or money. 

All in all Christmas was a bit of an anticlimax for Sirius.

Yusuke smiled at him. “It’s not the presents, or the dinner, so much as it is a chance for us all to be together. Next year, I expect you to have me over to one of your houses in England and give me the English Christmas experience Dumbledore tried to force on me this year. Yes?”

Sirius nodded. “You got it. Sort of a let down though. Remus all wolfy and no carolers, the food was good though.”

Yusuke laughed. “And you have to go with me tomorrow. I promised Hermione an oar. She hates brooms, says they’re cliche and unstable.”

Sirius just shook his head, “She’s just never had a proper broom ride. Those old duffers at Hogwarts are awful.”

Yusuke nodded, “They are, but I gave her a ride on my oar and she liked it. So ... she gets an oar.”

This pronouncement led to them all heading into the magical shopping district in Tokyo. 

Yusuke looked into a few windows on the way to the store he wanted. Remus and Sirius goggled around like tourists. Sirius finally asked, “How the hell do they keep neon lights working around magic?”

Yusuke blinked, “Spell of some sort, I suppose. Not really that important, is it?” He picked a cigarette out of thin air and offered it to Sirius. Remus just winced. They’d both smoked when they were in their rebellious stage. He’d accepted a Kretek from Yusuke and promptly choked on it.

Sirius accepted the Kretek and smiled. “Already lit? You have to teach me that trick.” He sucked in a lung full of smoke and just stood there for a moment. Then he started coughing. 

When he was done choking, he wiped his streaming eyes and demanded, “Bloody fucking hell. Where did you get that?”

Yusuke howled with laugher making heads turn. He ignored that and asked, “What? Don’t you like it?”

Sirius, thinking to get his own back, just poked the cigarette at Yusuke and said, “Well, then, you smoke it.”

Yusuke took it and tucked it in the corner of his mouth. He ambled off, puffing out smoke rings like a young dragon. Sirius coughed a few more times, snarled and hurried after him.

Yusuke knew he really shouldn’t have pulled that stunt on Sirius but he couldn’t resist. He’d pulled it on most of his new men at one time or the other. Most of his men smoked, many of them kretek, but he smoked one of the stronger brands. Even experienced kretek smokers balked at his offering; or, stupidly, took one and choked on it.

Sirius gave up. He was not going to get involved in a prank war with someone as devious as he was. And had the backup of hundreds of yakuza. He might be a bit mad but he wasn’t totally crazy, or suicidal. He grinned and returned to his rather dazed window shopping.

Remus directed everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand. “What brand of oar were you thinking of getting?”

Yusuke shrugged, “Not sure. I do know that I want to get her a nice stable family style oar. Something with a bit of speed but really stable. She’s just not got the balance for some sport oar. She’d be all over the place.”

Remus asked a very pertinent question, “Is an oar legal in England?”

Yusuke waved that away, “Don’t know, don’t care. I’ll be sure that the DMLE knows I won’t tolerate interference.” He curled his lip. “I’m funny that way.” He took a second look at Remus then asked, “Those potions working well?”

Remus smiled. “They are. I’m a bit sore but I’ll take a hot bath after this trip and be in the pink.”

“Good, good. Now, oar.” 

Sirius poked Remus. “Really?”

Remus gifted Sirius with a sincere smile. “Really. Absolutely.”

Yusuke finally found the shop he wanted. They entered to the chime of a bell.

The shopkeeper looked up from what he was doing. They could see that the entire back of the shop was and open work area, shoppers could actually see oars being made.

“Yes, hello, how may I help you?” The craftsman bowed.

“I need an oar for a young lady who is very ... hesitant about flying. Something very stable but with a bit of speed, maneuverable but not twitchy. Yes?” Yusuke looked around with interest.

“Ah! Yes, I think I have just the thing. It’s intended for young ladies who want to be Botan.” He smiled. “From Yu-Yu-Hakusho. Yes?” Yusuke smirked and nodded. “You see. So ... it is very stable, easy ride, bit of speed with sticking charms and so on. Very safe, good first oar. Would you like to try it?”

Yusuke shrugged his coat off and handed it to Remus. “Yes, I would. Out back?”

“Yes, this way.” The clerk led them out the back door and into an open area where several people were flying around on oars or carpets. “This is the test station, we share amongst several shops. Please keep to the outside, carpets to the inside. Yes?”

Yusuke nodded absently, mounted the oar and took off. He made a circuit of the area then returned to the group. “I’ll take it.”

The clerk bowed them to the checkout. Yusuke handed his money bag to Remus, who paid for the oar and made arrangements for it to be delivered.  
.

They spent the next couple of days doing business, lounging around and training before their skiing trip.

Yusuke just stood up at breakfast and said, “Trip. We leave in thirty minutes. Someone pack for me.” he plucked a lit cigaret from thin air and walked away, smoking.

Sirius took it upon himself to pack for Yusuke, himself and Remus. It was a revelation. Yusuke had a walk in closet that contained, what looked like, a small men’s clothing store. Sirius picked out a suit, just in case, but stuck to casual clothing. They were going to be at the resort for five days, returning to the compound the day before New Years. When he was done digging for jeans, long sleeved t-shirts and flannel shirts, he dug out all the sweaters he could find; heavy jackets followed the sweaters along with socks and boots. Once everything was packed away, handy shrinking charms assuring that it all fit, he went to do his packing.

He and Remus packed about the same stuff, one suit, jeans, and so on. Then they shrunk the trunks and handed them over to gaki to take care of. 

That was when Sirius and Remus realized exactly what Yusuke called ‘a few bodyguards, personal staff and hangers on’, the entire entourage comprised of about fifty men. Some were Yusuke’s personal staff, the rest, muscle.

When they got back down stairs they found Yusuke involved in deep conversation with his father and all three brothers. It turned out that his officers in England were homesick and wanted to return to Japan. He just looked at Sirius then Remus, he said, “One of you is my Fuku-honbucho, the other is my Wakagashira. Figure it out. Come on.”

Remus glanced at Sirius then said, “Ok, you’re the Wakagashira, you’re the one with management training. I’ll just be Fuku-hombucho until he gets someone better.”

Sirius just shrugged and wandered out after Yusuke.

Remus thought they’d be better off if he used his position to get the rest of Yusuke’s English staff in place. Then he’d give up his office to someone more qualified. Little did they know that they were stuck with these jobs for life, not that they minded when they did find out.

There was also the fact that they had no idea how complicated and confusing Yakuza hierarchy was. This was on purpose. And the fact that Yusuke was a member of the Hidden Clan made everything even more convoluted. Yusuke enjoyed sowing confusion and dismay amongst the lower ranks, within reason, so he never bothered to try to keep anything straight. He relied on his advisors for that. 

So, now he’d thrown his godfather and Remus into the pile, to sink or swim on their own. Needless to say, he was going to enjoy watching them stir the pot. His position was secure, but he knew that he needed English help in England. His Japanese men were having a hard time there; most were home sick, some spoke such bad English that they were incomprehensible to ‘real’ English speakers. He snickered at the thought of the were and the ner-do-well dealing with the Ministry.

.

It didn’t take them long to get checked in and settled in their suite. Yusuke had just taken a whole floor at the resort. Sirius sorted the men quickly, ordering them to settle in then meet them in the banqueting room. It didn’t take long for the men to get unpacked and begin to trickle into the room.

Yusuke waited until everyone was in a seat before he began his speech. “Alright, you ass holes, here’s the way it is. We’re here to have fun, relax and get in the mood for New Years. So, no trouble with the locals. Other tourists, I don’t care, just don’t do anything to get us kicked out. This is a small resort so, if you actually kill someone, hide the body right.” he glowered around for a moment then picked a cigaret out of thin air, dragged in a lung full and barked, “So? Get the fuck out of here.” the scramble to get out the door made both Remus and Sirius laugh.

Yusuke turned to Sirius and asked, “So, you want to go snowboarding, skiing or what?”

Remus groaned. He was well aware of Sirius’ love of anything that went fast, was dangerous, or annoyed someone he didn’t like. He thought snowboarding would provide two out of the three. 

“Oji Shiriusu, Aniki Remusu, you want to go with me? Or go your own way?” Yusuke watched patiently for a moment.

A moment was all it took for both men to reply that they would stick with Yusuke.

“Great. Snowboarding it is then. We need boards, come on.” 

Yusuke led the way down to a shop which specialized in boards. Yusuke just pointed to one on the wall, remarking, “I need a new board. I broke my old one. That one will do.”

The clerk blinked, “What kind of board did you have? If it had a structural flaw, I might be able to get you some sort of refund.”

Yusuke just shook his head, “Landed on a rock. My fault entirely. Sprained my ankle and shoulder, bust my board and helmet. I need a new high country board. Don’t want one that splits, I’d rather get up a different way. I like the colors on that one. Bindings?”

Yusuke checked on Remus and Sirius who were head to head with the other clerk, checking out boards and equipment.

The clerk returned with bindings and offered, “I can install them for you, but I need to ask all kinds of questions and it’ll take a bit.”

Yusuke replied, “I’m a goofy footed freerider, I’ll do it myself. Allow me use of your shop and tools?”

The clerk realized that he was dealing with someone who knew what he was doing and relaxed. “Sure. You’ll need an extra hand at one point. Just give a yell. You have a preference in safety gear, or will you take what I suggest?”

Yusuke just shrugged. “Pick out what you think I’d like. If I don’t, I’ll hunt down something else. And check on your buddy. My companions seem to be over whelming him.”

The clerk pointed to a curtain. “Through there. Get set up then call me and I’ll help you measure. I always think you get a better fit if you let someone measure while you’re actually on the board. I’ll bring boots then. Ok?”

“Ok. Go, before that guy loses his mind.” Yusuke waved the clerk away.

Yusuke knew what he needed in a board, but had no idea how to pick one for someone else, so he let both clerks deal with his Aniki and Oji. He turned his attention to getting the bindings on his new board.*

While he was doing that, the two clerks were answering a flood of questions from the two older men. Questions that were, inevitably, followed by ‘why?’ Both clerks were beginning to wilt when Yusuke barked, “Yamero! Just let them pick a good, stable beginners board and be done with it.” The clerks cringed at Yusuke’s crude use of language but Sirius and Remus both just complied.

After picking out snowsuits, helmets, boots and boards, plus accessories; they spent the next half hour getting the boards set up properly. Both clerks were impressed that Yusuke had his board set up in no time.

When they reached the register, Yusuke just handed a credit card to Remus, saying languidly, “Pay, will you?” Remus just took the card and handed it over.

The clerk looked at the total, then the card, shrugged and scanned it. He expected it to be rejected but he was happily surprised to see that it was accepted. The cost of three top of the line boards, bindings and accessories for three was astronomical but it barely made a dent in the limit.

Remus took the card back, handed over several bills and said, “Thank you, split that between the three of you. Have a nice day.” since tipping is unknown in Japan, except for a few areas that catered to foreign tourists, the clerk returned the money, shyly thanking Remus. 

Remus turned to Yusuke for an explanation. “There’s no such thing as tipping in Japan. He’ll get his in commissions and bonuses. But that was very kind of you.” he dragged in a lungful of smoke and blew it out, magically making a chain of smoke rings that hovered for several minutes after he walked away. “I sent ahead for lift tickets.”

They made it to the lift, only to find a line. Sirius thought that Yusuke would have a fit at having to line up, but he just sighed heavily and tacked himself onto the end. All the yakuza who were going snow boarding joined him. 

Remus kept hold of Sirius’ jacket, afraid that the still impulsive man would do something to shame Yusuke. Sirius was well aware of why Remus kept a hand on him. He didn’t object, he knew that he was still a bit off balance. The dementors had not been as cruel to him as they were to others, but he was still affected. His recovery was going well, just not as quickly as he could wish. So, he was careful to behave properly in public. His private outbursts were tolerated with kindness. 

Finally, they reached the head of the line. Uniformed attendants helped the newbies get aboard the lift, more attendants at the top helped them off. Most of the men headed directly for the slopes, or the nearby park. Yusuke spoke to one of the attendants then came over to Remus and Sirius, who were waiting for him near the top of the beginners slopes.

“Well?” Sirius was paying more attention to the slope than he was Yusuke. 

Yusuke swatted him on the back of the head and barked, “Pay attention. I have no intention of listening to you whine if you kill yourself.”

Remus snickered as Sirius rubbed his head, complaining, “Ow. You didn’t have to hit me so hard, I was listening.”

“Good. I’ve hired you an instructor. Listen to him. He’s a muggle but he’s the best teacher here. Do not get yourself hurt. There’s too many muggles around for magical healing to be a good idea.” Yusuke nodded to a waiting man then said, “Here he is. I’m going to have a couple of good runs, then I’ll be back to check up on you. Have fun.”

Yusuke dropped his board on the snow, bent to fasten his bindings then swooped away, down the slope and onto the Black/black slope.

Grading systems were a bit subjective in Japan but each resort supplied a list. This resort graded slopes, in order of difficulty, green (beginner), green/red (advanced beginner), red (intermediate), red/black (advanced intermediate), Black (experienced) and black/black (expert). You could tell which was black and which was black/black because of the white pinstripe on the Black/black. Remus and Sirius were relegated to ‘baby’ slopes.

After a couple of runs, Yusuke came back to see how his Aniki were doing. He found them both covered in snow and laughing. It seemed that Sirius had managed to cut hard enough to spray Remus with snow, in retaliation Remus had picked him up and dumped him into a snow drift. The instructor was also laughing as this sort of thing was common. 

Yusuke swooped up, killed his speed and leaned down to release his bindings. He tucked his board into wizard space then said, “How’s it going? You look like you’re having fun.”

Sirius’ manic grin told it’s own tale. Remus just shook his head, scattering snow. 

Yusuke laughed at the snow covered men. “Well, I can see why you’re called Marauders. You’re both nuts.” He grinned, pulled his board out of wizard space and buckled on the bindings. “Come, follow me.” He looked over his shoulder. “If you dare.”

Now, daring a Marauder to do something, guaranteed that he’d do it; so Sirius followed Yusuke with a whoop while Remus just growled as he kicked off. The instructor shook his head, all these people were crazy. He wasn’t worried about his two students, they both had shown excellent coordination and superior strength. They’d be fine. And he’d seen the younger man on the slopes, he was a wild man.

Yusuke led them to a groomed run for their first experience. 

Sirius and Remus were smart enough not to try the crazy stunts that Yusuke did. They contented themselves with a smooth run down the slope, cutting back and forth across the run in smooth, fast curves. Yusuke, on the other hand, hit every obstacle on the run.

He also pulled out every trick in his, rather large, book of same. Several of the watching snow lords realized that he was going through tricks in order of difficulty; going from an Ollie to a Nollie and so on. Most realized that he was a real power house. Most boarders couldn’t get more than 6 or 8 tricks out before they got tired, others could trick all day. Yusuke was one of the latter type. He managed to do tricks all the way down the slope and came to the end of the run, panting and sweaty, with a big grin on his face.

They laughed at each other then racked their boards. A long run for Yusuke and classes for Remus and Sirius followed by this run, had left them all hungry and thirsty. So they agreed to head for the restaurant for a nice meal after cleaning up a bit.

This particular restaurant specialized in local products, prepared in traditional ways. Sirius whined a bit about not being able to get a steak but Remus just told him to ‘stuff himself’. This lead to the men squabbling a bit. Yusuke shut them up by telling them they sounded like a ‘couple of queers’. Their instant denial made Yusuke snicker. The two actually sounded more like his two older brothers. 

.

Remus settled on a local stew like dish made with local salmon, root vegetables and soba in a miso base. Sirius and Yusuke both decided on shabu-shabu and agreed to share the pot. 

The waiter left tea and sake. He breathed a sigh of relief when he left the table. All three men made him very nervous for some reason.

When the waiter returned with the shabu-shabu pot, he had to tell Remus that his food wasn’t quite ready. Yusuke gave him a glower that made him sweat, but he explained, “The salmon wasn’t cleaned yet. We get it in whole everyday and one of the ...” he waved a hand, at loss for the proper word. Finally he said, “kitchen helpers cleans it. Today, the man didn’t show. The head chef was very displeased to have to do it himself. It put him back several minutes. We decided to bring out the shabu-shabu anyway.” He turned to Remus. “Please feel free to help yourself at no extra charge. If you run out of anything, let me know. And the meal is on the house.” With that, he bowed and scurried away.

Remus joined the fun of shabu-shabu. 

Shabu-shabu is a community effort sort of food; broth is heated in a special pot, vegetables are brought in bowls. The diner puts bits of food in the broth then fishes them out when they are done. The food is then dipped in any one of several sauces and eaten. When all the food is done, the broth is shared around as the last dish in the meal. 

When Remus’ stew came, he shared it around instead of eating it himself. They all agreed that the delicious salmon stew made a nice break from the shabu-shabu. 

Conversation flowed, along with sake, and they covered everything from a to z. Yusuke found that Remus had a dry sense of humor while Sirius tended to be a bit maniacal, with a touch of cruelty. Both men told him stories about his biological mother and father which he enjoyed very much. He told stories of his childhood from as early as he could remember to the present day.

This lead to Sirius announcing that he was going to ruin the Dursleys. Yusuke gave him an evil smirk and drawled, “And you think they’re flush ... why?”

“Um ... you mean that someone has already done something?” Sirius couldn’t believe that Dumbledore had let anyone get to them. Mr I-forgive-everyone?

Yusuke laughed softly. “My father has long arms and many contacts. Not to mention the fact that we left the impression that I’m dead. Blood where it shouldn’t be, bloody clothing in the garden shed. A few other things. Plus the fact that, or so I hear, Dumbledore-sama threw a bit of a fit at them.” he sipped his sake. “I really should check up on them some day.”

Remus just shrugged. “If the Muggle police got involved, forget about it. They really take as dim a view of child killers as Wizards do.”

Conversation turned to more pleasant topics and the sake continued to flow. Sirius finally passed out with Remus not far behind. Yusuke snorted into his cup, grumbling, “Shimata! You’d think they’d have harder heads. Fucking light weights.” He waved to a gaki. “Pour them into bed.” And with that he got up and staggered towards the door, still on his feet, just barely.

.

Morning was greeted with moans from Sirius, groans from Remus and loud laughter from Yusuke. This made them moan and groan even louder.

Remus struggled into a semi-sitting position on his futon. “Oh, my head. Who would have expected something made from rice would have such a kick. Potion, please.”

Yusuke handed him a Sober-up with a mock humble bow. “To serve is my desire.”

Sirius just moaned again and pulled the Umōbuton over his head. “I’m dying here and you’re making jokes.”

Yusuke had no pity and threatened, “Up, either drink this or have it spelled into you.” He dangled the potion over Sirius’ head.

“Evil brat.” But Sirius grimaced hopefully and swallowed the potion. He shuddered and sighed. “No more sake for me. I swear, that stuff is lethal. And how are you so damn perky first thing in the morning?”

Yusuke just grinned, unrepentant in his sobriety. “One of my men shoved a Sober-up down my throat before I went to bed. It’s nice to have gaki.” He smirked a bit more then announced. “We’ve been here exactly three days and the management has suggested that we have out stayed our welcome.” 

Remus sighed. “It’s because of me, isn’t it?” The full moon was Christmas.

Yusuke shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s because some of my younger gaki made idiots of themselves. They got drunk and destroyed their room. I’ll deal when we get back to the compound.”

Sirius shook his head vigorously. “Nuh.” He reached back and found the bottle of water he’d put there before going out. “I’d leave that up to their immediate superior. What the hell was he doing?”

Yusuke looked at Sirius for a moment. “Getting drunk with me.”

Sirius grumbled a bit then got up, realizing that he’d been the one who was supposed to keep the gaki in line. He dragged on a yukata and shambled out the door. Yusuke glanced at Remus then shrugged.

.

Sirius slammed the door open, making all the hungover gaki wince. “Ok, what baka decided that it was a good idea to trash the rooms?” He glowered around. “Someone had better answer me and quickly.” This was a Sirius that no one had ever seen; stern, hard faced and ready to kick ass. “Well?”

Finally one of the men offered, “Not sure, Bossu, it just ... seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Sirius shrugged, “You really want to offer that to the Kumicho as a good idea?”

“No. Not really.” Heads hung all over the room.

“Ok, here’s how it will be. You’ll all clean up as best you can. Take up a collection and it better be enough to pay the damages. Then you will all ask, politely, to see the manager. When you see him, you will all offer apology’s for being drunken idiots.” He glared around. “And the next time I have to come dress you down with a damned hangover, I’ll hurt you. Got me?”

“Yes, Wakagashira.” seemed to be the general consensus. 

Sirius eyed them for a moment then left, muttering, “I didn’t think I’d signed up to be a damn nanny. Fucking idiots.” 

One man shut the door carefully and sighed, “Ok, that went well.” he turned and sat down with a moan. “Oh, man, my head.” They all agreed that they’d gotten off easily, took up the collection, apologized to the manager and left. They found out at the compound that Sirius had made arrangements for them all to be on duty during New Years, doing all the cleaning for the duration. No one complained too much, they were just glad that he hadn’t done worse.   
.

I know the Shinkansen doesn’t go to Aomori; but , in my HP world, it does.  
Yūshi - Nephew (child not blood)  
tamagoyaki - rolled egg omelet  
natto - fermented soy bean  
tsukemono - pickles (Not American style with sugar but vegetables salted and slightly fermented)

I’ve heard the frog story several times, and the bandit one as well. I don’t know where it came from originally so credit is kind of up for grabs. As far as I know, it’s a folk tale told in several countries.

*I’ve avoided an in depth discussion of the differences in boards, bindings, boots and on and on. It’s only interesting to people who actually do this. 

Yamero! - enough!

As far as I can find out, Christmas is really not a big deal in Japan. It’s an excuse to eat and drink to much, exchange presents and party. Remember that Japan is not a Christian country.


	24. Chapter 24

A reiteration.   
Authors notes: In this story Harry goes to Japan. He is not a nice little boy, being raised by Yakuza. He's not necessarily mean either. He just has a slightly different set of morals. {YES, THIS IS A TOTALLY SELF-INDULGENT WANK ON MY PART.} Take note of the preceding statement, I repeat, reworded; this is for my own entertainment; I’m posting it so you can read it too.

Also, I’ll be changing my pen name on FanFiction to Yanagi something, very soon. If you have this bookmarked, go to my links and link through the address with a number at the end. That will not change. 

.

 

Yusuke sighed and rolled over on his futon. It was time to get up, put on his Harry Potter persona and go back to Hogwarts. He was bored. Hogwarts, he grumbled, was extremely boring. Also, someone was casting honesty spells on him. He, or his Father, was going to find out who, and do something nasty to them. He ran names through his head, finally deciding on Dumbledore, someone from the Ministry; or, just perhaps, Draco Malfoy. Snape knew better, McGonagall was on his side and Flitwick was too much a goblin to do such a thing.

He’d discussed the problem with Shiriusu-Oji and Remusu-Aniki, as well as his father. They hadn’t come up with any answers, as no one recognized the signature. Yusuke put that aside for now. 

He moved on to consider his next step in dismantling Tom Riddle’s organization. He’d kicked the lowest level into bits, most of the lowest sort were now either in hiding in England or had scarpered to the continent. He’d taken out a few of the next level as a warning to the upper echelon, but most of them had no sense and wouldn’t be scared off. He knew he was still looking at at least two years of work to get most of the Riddle-gumi out of England, or under its dirt.

His main problem was, he didn’t want the common populace to realize what he was actually doing. Dumbledore also didn’t need to know more than that he was working with the Ministry to do the job they wanted done. Dumbledore was a pain in his ass and a detriment to his work, in general and in particular. Yusuke didn’t really understand why he couldn’t just go in, guns blazing, and finish things up. He was, after all, only sixteen, and his father’s explanation had made little sense. Who cared if there was a general panic and he was declared the next Dark Lord of England. Obviously, his father did, and as an obedient son, he tended to do as his father asked. Besides, all the sneaking around and clandestine ‘operations’ were fun.

Yusuke picked a cigarette from thin air and stuck it in the corner of his mouth; squinting against the smoke, he pulled on a yukata and ambled into his sitting room. He usually ate breakfast there, with whatever officers needed to speak to him before the day’s business. 

Today was different, Shiriusu-Oji and Remusu-Aniki joined him, instead of his Japanese officers. They spent breakfast discussing what they should do and how to do it. It was decided that the Japanese gaki would stay, if they wanted to. Yusuke had found, much to his dismay, that most of his men in England just wanted to return to Japan. The few that were willing to stay were mostly young and wanted the excitement of living in a foreign country. The older one’s who would stay were mostly dumb muscle, spying wasn’t their forte, or even a skill. 

Yusuke knew that his network was a bit thin, but he didn’t think he needed many men to just keep their ear to the ground and keep an eye out for the people in the pictures they were given. The worst part of this whole operation was the Ministry of Magic. The whole organization was made up of idiots, fools, and venial bribe takers. Yusuke was enjoying taking them to the cleaners on a regular basis. Every Dark Mark he turned in was worth money. He’d asked what they did with the marked forearms he sent them. Seems they just banished it the second they made sure it had the mark. Yusuke snickered into his tea.

“So, brat, what’s so funny.” Sirius nibbled on his smoked fish. 

“Oh, the English Ministry of Magic. I’ve been soaking them forever. Every other arm I send them is transformed. It’s not sucking them dry by any means but it’s fun.” He grinned at Sirius over his cup.

Sirius blinked then started laughing. Remus joined Sirius, and the two men wound up hanging onto each other to keep from falling onto the table. 

Remus managed to get his snickers under control enough to ask, “And whose brilliant idea was that?”

Yusuke smirked in satisfaction. “Mine. There’s no reason not to run a con on those idiots. They think I’m just a sixteen year old. I’m much more than that. Father has trained me well. After all, Japanese children are meant to work hard and learn quickly. I always wish to please my Father, it is so rewarding. I’ve been trained by the best of the best from the time I was healthy enough to do so.”

Sirius just nodded. “I see, but you did have time for fun, right?”

Yusuke grinned at him, “Oh, yes, parkor, target shooting, iaido, sword training. All sorts of fun.”

Sirius just covered his face with on one hand and sighed, “Oh, man. If that’s your idea of fun, I can just imagine your idea of work.”

Yusuke just gave him a feral grin. “Despite my age, I am neither innocent, nor nice. I am Yakuza.”

Sirius glanced at Remus. Remus just gave him a wolfish look and went back to his breakfast. They both felt just a smidgeon of pity for Fudge.

.

New Years came and went, accompanied by much sake and food and a drunken brawl that Yusuke broke up by the simple expedite of shooting both offenders, in the leg, but still. Sirius was a bit insulted that Yusuke shot them instead of allowing him to hex them. In fact, he actually whined a bit.

Yusuke genially told him, “Oh, shut up, you whiny bitch. At least I didn’t kill them. Last time this happened, Father offed them all.”

Remus just shrugged, “Serves them right for fighting in front of the Oyabun without orders to do so.”

Sirius smacked Yusuke on the shoulder and grumbled, “Not a bitch. I’m a dog.”

Yusuke blinked then replied, “I do hope not.” He got an odd look from both Sirius and Remus so he continued, “Bitch, female canine, not neutered. Stud, male canine, not neutered. Dog neutered canine either gender.”

Sirius crossed his legs with a moan, stuck his nose in his sake cup and emptied it.

Remus had to have one of the younger gaki swat him on the back a few times to get the sake out of his nose. Laughing and swallowing concurrently wasn’t that successful. 

The New Year’s day was a slow one. Most of the gaki, all of the dansei and even some of the higher officers were hung over. Yusuke refused to come out from under his jade green silk duvet, Sirius managed to crawl into the bathroom to find a hangover cure. Remus didn’t even wake up. The few gaki that were under punishment and didn’t get to celebrate took their revenge by taking their time in providing cures, breakfast, tea or any other service. 

Yusuke accepted the potion that finally appeared in front of him, gulped it down and retreated to his cocoon of soft cotton blankets and duvet. He swore that, next year, he wasn’t going to do this. He also knew he would.

By Noon, everyone was up and about, grumbling and cross. The baths got a workout, as did the masseurs. The buffet that was set up in one of the great rooms was purely Western in appearance, but contained all the comfort foods expected. 

The next day was supposed to be a day for dansei to bring complaints before the combined Miyamoto family. They could also bring forth business ideas. Yusuke hated this with a passion, he was usually bored to death. This year was different, he was supposed to be on the Hogwarts Express on the third and he needed today to gather his things, pack and finish the last of his homework. 

Sirius showed up at about 3pm to check on him.

“Yusuke-Yūshi, you ok?” Sirius put the black lacquer tea tray down on Yusuke’s desk. He used a Western style desk as it put an expanse of mahogany wood between himself and supplicants. 

“Yeah, every year I swear that I’m not going to get drunk and make a fool of myself. Every year, I wind up ....” He grimaced and waved a hand. 

Sirius shoved a tea cup his way. “How many years?”

“Since I was fourteen and took my place as an officer. I’ve got to learn some way to keep the gaki from drowning me in sake. They’re currying favor, I know that, but it isn’t good for me, or my image.” Yusuke took a sip of the tea, nodded his appreciation and waited. Sirius had something to say.

“Ok, here’s the way I see it. They all think it’s a good way to get on your good side, keeping your cup full. And, I don’t see anything wrong with you having a drink or three. But last night was ... embarrassing.” He shrugged. “You weren’t off the wall, or disgusting, or anything. But you did show a definite lack of ... restraint. From now on, no one but Remus or I fills your cup. No one. Got me?” He looked his godson in the eye.

Yusuke didn’t even blink. “Well ... so, so, so. That’s how they do it. Evil, that’s what they are.”

Yusuke went on to explain that his father and brothers only let one or two men fill their cups. He’d always thought it was just them being stuffy, now he realized that that was how they kept from getting stone drunk. They’d all told him he needed a ‘cup man’, but he’d wanted to give his men the privilege of filling his cup. He’d thought it would engender more solidarity.

“Solidarity be damned, you or Remus is my cup man from now on. Thanks.”

Sirius just nodded then asked, “How are you doing on that homework? Need any help?”

Yusuke shook his head. “No, just getting all my notes in order and the final corrections made.”

Sirius glanced at the pages spread out on the desk. “Japanese writing? Don’t you write English?”

“Yes, kanji, mostly. A bit of Katakana and Hiragana where needed. And no, I don’t read or write English and have no intention of learning. I use a translation charm on my books, or buy them in translated forms. If they can’t read this, then they should have left me well enough alone. I don’t like England, I was never more than miserable there. And I don’t like being blackmailed into doing something. Holding my inheritance until I off this Tom Riddle idiot is ... unacceptable. Father just hates to let go of money ... and you have to admit that the Potter fortune, while not Black level, is a nice bit of change. So, I do as I’m told to do.” He gave Sirius a rather nasty, feral smile. 

Sirius returned one not much nicer. “So, I see. Well, we’ll be a while at that. You’ve got most of the lower levels scared to death of you, they’re all in hiding, or run to the continent. The middle levels will take a bit of work. The Inner Circle is going to be a bitch, they’re all as rich as I am, or richer. We’ll need leverage against them.”

Yusuke rubbed his forehead. “I know. And Leverage against them is going to be hard to get. They’re all so damn secretive. Almost as bad as we are. So ... ideas?”

“No, not a one. I want to do some snooping and poking before I make any suggestions. We’re going to be at this, like I said, a while. Slow and steady wins the race. I found that out the hard way. Rushing in, guns blazing, will only queer our game. So ...” He shrugged, sipped his tea and waited to see what Yusuke might have to say.

“I agree with you. I’ll keep working on the gaki, keep them on the run. That should keep Nanashi short of soldiers and off balance. Maybe he’ll make the mistake of using middle level men as soldiers. Not sure what that’ll do to his organization. The Inner Circle? Once we’re really sure exactly who they are, I’ll start picking them off.” Yusuke finished his tea. “I better get back to this. Wouldn’t do to show up with it half done. Just because they’re going to have to translate it, doesn’t mean I should skimp on it.” He smiled and returned to his work.

Sirius nodded. “Good for you. I’ll leave the tea.” he got up and ambled out of the room, glad to see that his godson and he were on the same page.

.

Remus met him in their rooms. They’d decided that they would stay in the same rooms, neither one of them was solitary in the least and missed companionship. They had separate bedrooms but shared the lounge and bathroom. Neither one of them was a good cook, so they ate in the common dining room. 

“Well?” Remus leaned back against a lazy back. “How did it go?”

“He’s as smart as a whip and as devious as a Marauder should be. We think alike and he agreed that either you or I should be his cup man from now on. I’d like to bash his Dad and brothers around the head but I know that they were hoping he’d learn by example.” Sirius grinned a bit. He was very proud of Harry, he still thought of him by that name and probably always would.

Remus shook his head. “Well, we’ll both keep an eye on him.” He handed over a plate of snacks he’d gotten. “Here, eat something. Oh, while I’m thinking of it ... a gaki brought the snow boards and what not. I told him to store it wherever it belongs.”

“Good, good. I was dreading trying to get it out of Lost and Found ... or whatever they call it here.” Sirius picked at the sushi. “Good stuff, but I really want a good English fry up.”

“Me too. We’ll have to have one at the Three Broomsticks when we get back. Tomorrow, right?” Remus thought about all the packing he needed to do and sighed.

“Yeah, we better pack when I’m done with this.” Sirius sighed too. He wasn’t looking forward to returning to Scotland and dealing with all the staring, pointing and whispering that both of them would have to endure.

Remus grinned at him, “Think Black, in spades. I’m thinking Honorable Were.”

Sirius gave him an arrested look then started laughing.

.

The fold to Kings Cross Station was accomplished easily. Yusuke had decided to dispense with most of the gaki, sending them back to Japan. He kept only six or seven older men to keep house and provide a presence. Sirius and Remus would use old contacts amongst the English to do what needed to be done. It also made them less noticeable. 

He nodded to Remus who took his place behind and to the left of Yusuke, Sirius took his place on the right. “I’m going to have to ride in that damn train, but there’s no reason for you to. I’d suggest that you get to Hogsmeade and check the house.”

Sirius nodded. “Ok, but there’s no reason for you to suffer on the train.” he smirked. “Make others suffer instead.”

Remus shouldered someone aside. “Watch it. Plenty of room without that.”

The man who had bumped into Remus glowered back. “You watch yourself, Lupin. Everyone knows about you. We don’t want your sort among us.”

Remus just smiled, a bit toothily, at the man. “Oh, my sort? What! The sort that put up with every idiot in the world looking down on them, never mind that they could rip them apart. Doesn’t seem wise to me. But then, I’m just a simple man.”

The idiot backed away. “You ... I’ll have you ... you’ll.”

Yusuke stepped up. “You’ll what? You have no rights with my vassal.” He walked away. “Remus?” 

Remus returned to his place with a slight smirk. It had started.

Yusuke got on the train, dismissing his men with a wave of his hand, saying, “Remusu-aniki, Shiriusu-oji, take care of business, yes?” He sighed. He still found English confusing, being more used to the Japanese constructions. And, especially when stressed in some way, fell back into Japanese; much to Hermione’s amusement.

He picked a compartment and settled in. He supposed Hermione would find him, probably Neville as well. He wasn’t best pleased when Ron Weasley, of all people, settled in a seat. Yusuke knew he could get rid of him easily enough, but he did wonder what the silly boy wanted.

Ron, who felt it was his duty to thank Harry Potter for the potions, settled awkwardly in a seat. “Um ... well, you see...”

Yusuke frowned and picked a cigarette out of the air. “Go on.” He puffed, slowly drawing smoke into his lungs.

Ron decided to just bite the bullet and get it out. “Thankyouforgettingmethepotion.” 

Yusuke just shrugged, having no idea what Ron had said, outside of ‘thank you’. “Whatever. Smoke?”

Ron innocently accepted the kretek. “Yes, please.” He put the offered cigarette to his lips, sucked like he’d seen others do, and promptly started hacking up a lung. He finished with watering eyes and a rather green face. “Oh, my ...um ... how on earth do you smoke those things. I thought Grandda’s pipe was bad.”

Yusuke just replied, “A badly misspent youth, I’m afraid.”

Ron gave him a wide eyed look. “Oh, um.”

“Oi, shove up.” Neville poked Ron before he could say more, making him scoot over, deeper into the compartment.

They were joined by the twins and Hermione and there was a bit of a scramble to get trunks onto the overhead and various boxes and bags under the seat.

Hermione put Crookshanks’ carrier on the floor then asked, “Any one mind?” various versions of ‘no’ led to her opening the door and allowing her pet to climb into her lap.

Fred plucked the cigarette from Ron’s lax fingers, exclaiming, “Here now, little brother, Mum will have your head.” He passed the thing on to George without taking a drag, he knew better. 

George passed it in turn to Neville, not wanting any either. Neville quietly placed it between his lips, letting it dangle from the corner of his mouth in imitation of Yusuke. 

Fred turned to Harry to say, “My dear sir, you’re perverting the young ‘un’s, how dare you, I say. You’re the poster boy for the Light.” His expression of mock severity made everyone chuckle.

Yusuke raised an eyebrow in mockery then replied, “I’m a shadow cast by shadows. The Light avoids me in terror.”

Hermione snorted, “You’re a Yakuza Kumicho. That’s even worse.” She smirked at him in a genial way that made him laugh. “Now, everyone have their homework done?” Nods greeted this so she settled into the corner opposite Yusuke to read.

The rest of the group divided into two parts; one composed of the twins and Ron, to play exploding snap and the other, Yusuke and Neville, to quietly plan what to do if the headmaster tried to break their chain of communication again.

They were well settled by the time the bright red Express pulled out of the station. 

No one was pleased when Draco Malfoy knocked on the door then opened it before being invited. “Well, if it isn’t Potty and his bunch of misfits. I ...”

Yusuke just waved his hand, silencing Draco before he could go farther, even if his mouth continued to move.

“Yes, shut it, will you? You’re just making everything worse. Your Father is going to have a fit. Now ... I’m going to ask you a question. If I’m not satisfied with the answer, I’m going to do something unpleasant to you.” Draco struggled to move, speak, anything; as the inexorable voice went on. “I have had an honesty hex cast on me ... several times, in fact. Did you do it?” 

Yusuke released Draco’s head. Draco let out a squawk. “No! That’s mind control! I can’t, don’t know how. Nor would Father. It’s ... not done.”

Yusuke glanced around the compartment, everyone shook their heads. George opined, “Don’t think so. There’s only a few that are powerful enough to cast that sort of hex. It had to have been Dumbledore or an Unspeakable. My vote is for the Unspeakable. Dumbledore might be a bit long in the tooth, but he’s not senile yet.”

Yusuke eyed Draco for a moment then released him. “Get out.” Draco obeyed that flat, cold order; scrambling out the door and down the corridor, robes rustling frantically. 

Hermione offered her opinion. “I think Dumbledore might have a Hit Wizard do it. That way it’s plausible deniability.” at everyone’s puzzled look, she explained. “That way he can claim, quite honestly, that he didn’t know about it. Sort of. Wouldn’t pass veritaserum, but most wizards would believe him. I mean, why would the leader of the light put an honesty hex on someone?” She sighed and twirled a loose lock of hair around a finger.

Yusuke translated the phrase into Japanese then back. “Yes, you’re quite possibly right. He wouldn’t do it himself. Fear of getting caught, for one, would prevent him. But dropping a hint that it might be a good idea in the right ear? That’s another thing altogether.” He scowled out the window for a moment. “Well, I’ll leave finding out about that to Chichi-ue. Anyone hungry?” 

The exclamations of delight at the savory things he produced from the rattan hamper he took from mallet space let him know that they were, indeed, hungry.

This time around, they had pork cutlets, pot stickers, chicken cutlets and smoked fish. The vegetables were steamed then tossed with a light sauce. There were also rice and lovely noodles. Neville provided English tea and Hermione proudly produced a double fudge cake from a beaded bag that dangled from her wrist.

Ron eyed the strange foods for a moment, then shrugged, at least everything was cooked. Everyone else quietly accepted the plates that Yusuke handed around and began to fill them with the savory foods. Ron, per Molly’s order, waited until everyone else had a plate, then filled his own.

They all ate, complimenting Yusuke on the food. Hermione remarked, “It’s so nice to have real food, not all the sweets that are all that’s offered off the trolley. Although, I do like a sweet now and then.”

Neville agreed, adding, “And it’s like a picnic. Only on a train.” There was a bit of laughter over that, but Neville ignored them genially.

When they finally arrived at Hogsmeade, it was dark. Yusuke mustered all his friends into one group with a simple look. The twins glanced behind themselves then fell into line obediently enough. They settled in one carriage, tossing their carry bags on top. The rest of their luggage they left for the house elves to deal with, except for Yusuke, he kept his trunk in his pocket.

The trip up to Hogwarts was quick and conversation was nearly impossible due to the rattling of the carriage. They hopped out at the front door and entered the outer hall in a group. Yusuke offered Hermione his arm with the comment, “Those are still the ugliest horses I’ve ever seen.”

Hermione just shook her head, “Those aren’t horses. They’re Thestrals. Only someone who has seen death can see them. Are they really that ugly?”

Yusuke considered that for a moment. “Well, not really. They’re very strange, skeletal and have bat wings. But ... now that I know they’re not horses, not so bad.”

Neville sighed, “I can’t see them, but I’ve seen pictures. They’re the original Nightmares.”

Yusuke just went, ‘Hn.’ which made Hermione snicker.

They settled in their usual seats and waited for Dumbledore to finish his rambling. They were hungry again and wanted to eat. It didn’t help that his robes for the evening were a particularly ghastly shade of chartreuse, decorated with fuchsia fringe.

Dumbledore finally ended his remarks with, “And in conclusion, there will be no more foreign foods served at Hogwarts. Some people have voiced concerns about the nutritional value of the foods, therefore you will all be served good, old fashioned English and Scottish fare. Now, tuck in.”

Yusuke gave Neville a bland, blank look and simply got up and left the Great Hall, trailed by Hermione, Fred, George and Neville. Several other students followed, from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Most of the Slytherins just looked scornfully self-satisfied. 

Minerva McGonagall caught the look on her colleague, Severus Snape’s face. “Severus, I have no idea why you’re so ... worried by that young man.” She did wonder, she was well aware why she respected him, she was curious as to why Snape seemed to be just a touch afraid of him.

“Minerva, you’re not seeing some things. That young man, in and of himself, is a force to be reckoned with. He’s proficient in several Eastern martial arts. And he has killed. But what you don’t understand is ... He is the embodiment of the Yamaguchi-gumi and a member of the Kakusareta kazoku, the Hidden Family. If you mess with him, you mess with them all. He is a member of the Inner Circle, the Boss of Boss’ youngest son. And I don’t particularly care to bring the ire of 125,000 yakuza down on my head.” He made a sour face and returned to his food. He really didn’t see how Dumbledore was going to come out of this year in one piece. 

Minerva now realized that the personable young man she saw had more ‘up his sleeve’ than some fantastic tattoos. She wondered if Dumbledore really knew what he was doing with Harry. She hoped he did, but she feared he didn’t. She also turned to her food.

.

Yusuke smirked at his fellow students. “Well, that was quick. I really don’t understand why that baka insists on annoying me like that. What is his point?”

Hermione thought then announced, “Well, judging by the looks on the Slytherins’ faces ... they obviously had something to do with it. Why? Couldn’t say. Perhaps if we asked one of the elves.”

Yusuke just shook his head, “Don’t really care. And, if Ojiisan Agohigi thinks I’m going to give up my favorite breakfast in favor of greasy eggs and that slop they call oatmeal,” Yusuke grinned at Hermione then said, “Kare wa kare no kokoro o ushinatte shimatta.”

Hermione nodded, “Yes, he has definitely lost his mind.”

Neville added, “And Gran wants his hide on a rack. He’s interfered in my life one time too many for her. He actually had the nerve to write her and say that he felt that training me for my Lordship was too much for my delicate sensibilities.”

Hermione made a rude sound while Yusuke blinked. He finally managed, “Shitsureishimashita? Sensaina? Nandesuka?”

Hermione replied, “He’s about as delicate as an anvil. Man’s an idiot, and to believe that I used to think he was something great. Really!” She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed her irritation.

She brightened when Neville convinced a house elf to bring them food. 

The elf brought some of everything on the menu and a few things that weren’t. The settled down to stuff themselves, telling stories of their winter break while they ate. It was a pleasant interlude to what Hermione declared was going to be, “A bitch of a term.” 

Both Neville and Yusuke pointed at her, saying, “Language.”

They all winced as Ron, Dean and Seamus thundered into the room.

Ron flopped onto his bed, demanding, “Where’s your trunk/room thing?”

Yusuke answered, “In my pocket.” and pulled it out. He set it up in a few seconds then said, “And it’s still set up just like last term. Hands off. If you need something, ask.”

Ron flapped a hand. “Ok, ok. I remember. Dumbledore looked like he’d swallowed a spider when you all walked out. What’s he playing at?”

Hermione shrugged. “No idea.”

Yusuke just said, “Power play. He’s losing it and wants it back. I’ve got it, and he isn’t getting it back. He’s old and likes the status quo. I’m young and I don’t.”

Seamus rooted in his trunk for pajamas then announced, “I’m showering then going to bed. Just keep it down to a dull roar. Ok?”

Dean waived a hand then dug out his own sleeping gear and followed his friend into the bathroom.

Hermione got off Yusuke’s bed, announcing, “That’s my cue to shove off. Night.”

Neither Neville nor Yusuke looked particularly put out by the change of subject. The other boys weren’t affected by the politics around them. 

Neville thought for a few moments, Yusuke patiently waited until he got his thoughts in order. “We have to keep a line of communication that can’t be interrupted. Gran didn’t get half my letters. She only got the one’s I sent with Hedwig or through the post box. And I’m really worried that something will happen to Hedwig. Or the Minister might pull your box.”

Yusuke nodded. “I’ll talk to Remusu-aniki and Shiriusu-oji. Perhaps a messenger? Establish that now so there’s no questions later.” 

“Might do.” Neville snickered as a thought popped into his head. “Sirius, perhaps?”

Yusuke nearly hurt himself, he laughed so hard. “Oh, yes. Harry Potter’s criminal godfather as messenger boy. I do like it.” He eyed Neville for a moment. “Any other reason?”

“It’s oneupmanship of the best kind. Rub everyone’s nose in the fact that Sirius Black is, not only innocent, but has diplomatic immunity beside.” Neville looked smugly self-satisfied.

Yusuke nodded. “I’ll let him know in the morning.”

Neville had one last question before they went to sleep. “What did you get me for Christmas? I’ve got your present in my trunk. I’ll give it to you in the morning. Ok?”

Yusuke snorted. “Mercenary. I haven’t gotten your present yet. I’m torn. What do you really want?”

Neville never thought about it, really. He just said the first thing that popped into his head. “Bellatrix LeStrange’s head in a basket would be nice.” Then he was asleep.

Yusuke blinked into the dark for a moment, then murmured, “Well, I didn’t expect that. But you’ll have it.”

.

Yusuke wrote a note to Sirius and sent it via Hedwig. It was a test that she, and Dumbledore failed. The poor owl looked very put out when she returned to her perch. The answer to their question was in the color of the paper. A letter that had not been tampered with would be bright white, one that had been tampered with magically would be cream. This was something that most magicals wouldn’t notice, both from not being that familiar with paper and due to the fact that most vellum and parchment was a cream color. 

The letter that Sirius received had been magically redacted, turning the paper cream. 

Yusuke gave Hedwig some treats then went to bed, contemplating murder and mayhem. He wasn’t sure exactly what Dumbledore’s intent was, but it was irritating to have his mail tampered with. 

The next morning saw the dorm divided into two groups, Neville and Harry in one, and Dean, Ron, and Seamus in the other. There was no fighting or ill feelings, just a rather natural division between boys with power and responsibility and those without. The larger group was loud, rambunctious and rowdy. The smaller group was fairly quiet, but they had that ‘don’t mess with me’ edge that only a few had.

The ‘rowdy three’ rampaged around the dorm, showering, dressing and gathering their things. Yusuke had been up for four hours, sent a note via the mail box and cleaned up before Neville was awake. Neville had done his business before the others were up. Both young men had been in and out of the dojo for training before the sun came up. Now, showered, shaven and dressed, they watched with some amusement as their dorm mates scrambled to be ready to go down to breakfast.

Seamus eyed both of them with sour disfavor. “Damnit, Potter, I don’t see how the hell you can stay up until one or two and be up by six. It’s not natural.”

Yusuke just shrugged, “I don’t sleep much. I might as well do what needs to be done, rather than lay awake, wishing I was asleep. Doesn’t seem sensible to me. I could wake you up, same as I did for Neville last term.”

All three boys made scoffing sounds. Ron replied for all of them. “No, thanks. Why get up before we have to? Come on, guys, let’s get going.” and with that they all rushed out.

Yusuke jerked his head at Neville. “Ready?”

“Yes. Hermione will be waiting so we better get going too. I don’t fancy a scold on the first day back.” He tossed something in Yusuke’s direction. “Happy Christmas, belated.”

Yusuke plucked the package out of the air. “Thanks. Your present is still a work in progress. I finally decided what to give you.” He opened the package. “Tobacco?”

“Raised it myself. The Longbottom elves cured it. Hope you like it. It’s fine shred, like you smoke in one of those tiny pipes you like.”

Yusuke bowed carefully. “Thank you very much. I’ll enjoy it, I’m sure.” He put the package in his desk and activated the last of the wards. “We better get a move on.”

They joined Hermione at the bottom of the stairs, she refused to try to come up at this time of day, for fear of being trampled in the rush. 

“Well?” Hermione tugged on Yusuke’s sleeve.

“Not good. We’ll talk more on the way down, but not here. Too many listening ears.” He glowered at a portrait of a young man in vivid green Edwardian garb. “All the paintings listen in and tell everything they hear to the ones in the headmasters office.”

Hermione blinked then demanded, “And how do you know that?”

“Remusu-aniki told me. I’m inclined to believe him as it explains much.”

Neville glowered at another portrait, obviously listening, now that they knew what to look for. “Paint remover.” the portrait looked away quickly.

Hermione sighed. “Well, shite.” 

They slipped into the juku just long enough for Yusuke to give them the low down on what was going on. He finished, “I’m going to be guarding Hedwig carefully. She’s only allowed to take messages for you, Hermione, and owl orders. I don’t want some over enthusiastic Ministry idiot to hurt her. Anything we want Dumbledore to read will go by school owl. The rest goes by messenger or my post box.”

Hermione scowled for a moment. “Ok, I can see that. But can you trust the messenger completely?” She held up a hand when Yusuke started to speak. “I know that you trust all your men but ...”

Yusuke grinned at her. “Oh, I do. Most of the Japanese men have gone back to Japan. There’s only a few left. The messengers are, however, completely incorruptible.” He managed to look concerned for a moment before saying, “You don’t really believe that Shiriusu-oji or Remusu-aniki could be bribed, do you?”

Hermione’s jaw dropped, she stuttered for a moment before exclaiming, “Oh! You! Kono yōna bakadesu!

Neville snickered softly while Yusuke said, “Your Japanese is getting better.” then he headed for the door. “Breakfast. I’m hungry.”

Neville nodded enthusiastically. “Me too. But how are we going to handle it? You did say you weren’t going to eat English.”

Yusuke snorted, then said in that soft, deadly tone of voice that made hardened Yakuza sweat. “I’ll politely ask the elves to provide us with what we wish. They’ll do it, you know.”

Neville grinned. “You’re right. For some reason the little blighters love you.”

“Of course they do. I am kind to them.” His arrogance made Neville grin and shake his head.

Hermione just sighed, some days they were such boys. 

.

Breakfast was nearly over, held under Dumbledore's twinkly eye, when the Great Hall doors banged open. This made everyone jump and turn to look at the entry, except for Neville, Yusuke and, surprisingly, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. Snape glowered around at the whispering students causing a sudden silence. 

What happened next had everyone in the room either ducking or trying to scramble over the bench they were seated at. The head table remained calm, although several of the professors discretely drew their wands.

Sirius Black himself strode into the room, robes flowing elegantly. “Hello there.” He bowed to the room then went to Yusuke’s side. “Harry.” He bowed again. “I’ve brought you and Neville your mail. Seems to be some sort of interference. I know the post box works properly. Had it checked this morning. But, just in case, I thought I’d drop it off myself. Can’t be too careful with official documents, you know.” He handed over an elaborate document case with the Ministry of Magic seal on the front. “Here. All sorted. I handled most of it, as your Senior Advisor. Remus handled some too. All that’s left is what neither one of us can handle. Any orders?”

“No. Not until I’ve reviewed everything. Thank you, Shiriusu-oji. Would you like to join us?” Yusuke made to scoot over.

“No, I thank you. I have some fence mending to do. Excuse me.” He bowed properly to his Kumicho and approached the head table. The whispering resumed, louder.

Snape stood at his approach. 

Sirius nodded to McGonagall and Flitwick, who both nodded back. “Potions Master Snape, a word, if you please?”

Snape stood up, nodded shortly and snarled, “If I must.”

Sirius smiled genially. “No, not if you really don’t want to. But ... I’d like the chance to make some amends.”

Snape just followed him through the door behind the high table and into the teachers’ lounge there.

Sirius sighed, rubbed his face then said, “We were all horrible little beasts back then, weren’t we? Not like you didn’t do your best to egg us on. But, I’m sorry. Truly.”

Snape eyed him for a moment then had a flash of intelligence. “Yes, we were, weren’t we? Not that this makes us even polite acquaintances though.”

Sirius shrugged. “Not expecting you to do more than not hex me blind or something. Don’t expect more.”

Snape sighed heavily. “Fine, then. I won’t start anything.” he thought for a moment, then asked, “How does he rank?”

“Harry? He’s a kumicho, just as he claims to be. And he’s Miyamoto’s toy child. The youngest of the family. Indulged outrageously, spoiled rotten. Get’s everything he wants. All that.” Sirius smiled at Snape’s disgusted expression. “He’s also the Atama shikkō-sha. Miyamoto-oyabun’s head enforcer. He’s not a person to fool around with. He’ll rip your head off and spit down your neck, just because you stepped on his shadow. Be cautious around him. Your usual attitude ... well, it’s problematic, at best.”

Snape nodded. “I walk very carefully around him. He’s got some way of entering and leaving even Hogwarts that I don’t understand. He’s nothing like your bunch at all.” He made a face. “Should I be afraid of him?”

Sirius considered this for a moment. “No. Don’t insult him, involve yourself in family business or attack him and you’ll be alright.” he waited for Snape to nod his understanding. “Well, that’s it. Thanks for listening without hexing me. I better get back to business. Good day.”

Snape sneered then just turned and stalked off. Sirius watched his back for a moment then allowed, “Well, that went better than I expected.”

He grinned and folded away to Ken No Ie to share his news with Remus. 

Remus thought about it for a moment then said, “Guarded truce?”

“Yeah. We better walk softly around him. Don’t want him going off on us, or Harry ...” he waved a hand. “Yusuke. I seem to think of him more as Yusuke than Harry. But we’ll have to be careful not to call him out of his preferred name. Only set his back up.”

Remus agreed. “I think of him more as Yusuke than Harry too. But being in England I do tend to want to call him Harry. Wonder why?”

Sirius shrugged negligently, more interested in a second breakfast than in what they should call his godson.

After his second breakfast, Sirius ambled down to the town square. He loitered around, listening to the local chat. He didn’t learn much, only that there was a small cottage in Wiltshire that was a bad place. No one was really sure why, just that people who got too close, disappeared. 

But no one paid much attention to a shadowy dog, no matter how big it was. Sirius got close enough to the cottage to see who was inside. Bella, his cousin, was the only resident. He wondered where her husband and brother-in-law were, then, dismissed it, as they were not the Mokuhyō. He laughed at himself, he was beginning to think in yakuza.

He trotted away from the run down cottage, changed into his human self and folded to Ken No Ie. He gave Remus a quick rundown then wrote it up and sent it to Harry. 

.

Classes for the day being done, the friends headed for their juku to start on homework, Hermione; and read mail, Neville and Yusuke. They also had homework, but business came first.

Yusuke was getting more used to being called ‘Harry’, many of his fellow students couldn’t seem to get it through their heads that he was Miyamoto Yusuke as well as Harry Potter. He found himself answering to Harry, but not Potter. He didn’t make pots, tea or otherwise.

He settled himself at his desk to read his reports. What he read in one infuriated him. It seemed that Dumbledore had ‘dropped a word’ in someone’s ear and that someone was hexing him. The honesty hex was being cast at him by an expert. He snarled a bit then made a note to Sirius to find out who, or he was going to raid the Ministry himself and hex the answers out of Fudge.

The one from Sirius led him to do a bit of research on the area Sirius claimed Bella was in. There were several cottages in that area, but only two of them were magical. The coordinates that Sirius sent him pointed to the older one, farthest from the tarmac road that wound through the area. He decided to wait until late then just fold to the location and reconnoiter for himself. Sirius’ notes were good but actual hands on, or eyes on, experience was usually best. He also had to acquire a proper basket.

The basket was easy, he just asked an elf for one. The elf produced a very nice covered basket lined with dark red brocade cloth. Yusuke tucked it into mallet space then returned to his work.

They spent the evening with their heads together over the transfiguration essay that was due next week. Hermione was glad to get a good start on it. Neville and Yusuke weren’t too worried about it as it wasn’t due until Wednesday. By the time they decided to stop, it was nearly curfew so they put their things away and headed to the dorm.

Yusuke touched Neville on the arm. “Neville, I might have your present by morning. And I’ll give Hermione hers then too.”

Neville nodded. “I was wondering when you were going to give Hermione her present.” He took a quick look to see where Hermione was. She was far enough ahead that she wouldn’t over hear.

“I told her I had it, but I wanted to wait until we had some free time. She’s all for having a bit of a party on Saturday. But I don’t want to wait.”

Neville thought for a moment then said, “Well, give me mine in private in the morning then we’ll have a bit of a do on Saturday. You can give Hermione hers then, it works out better.”

Yusuke nodded. “Ok. Sounds good. And a nice excuse for two parties. I like parties.” He grinned at Neville.

They parted at the base of the dorm stairs, Hermione to make her way up to the girls dorm and the boys to theirs.

Yusuke waited until everyone was asleep then just folded from the middle of the room to the coordinates that Sirius had given him. He wasn’t that surprised to find both Sirius and Remus waiting for him.

Sirius nodded to him while Remus kept an eye on the cottage. Yusuke joined them silently.

They watched for a moment. Bella was moving around, obviously getting ready for bed. 

Sirius watched as he said, “You need help?” At his godson’s scoffing grunt he continued, “Didn’t think so, but had to ask.”

Remus drifted toward the back door, just in case. Sirius went to cast a shield that would keep his cousin from leaving by any magical method and guarded the front door.

After a soft whistle from the front signified that Sirius was in place, Yusuke broke in by picking the back door lock with a set of picks that he pulled from a thigh pocket. Most people would wonder why he didn’t use magic, but the explanation was simple. Using magic to unlock a door was like setting off a flare to anyone who knew what to look for. And, if anyone thought Bellatrix LeStrange was stupid enough not to put up alarms, they deserved what they got. She was certifiably crazy, not stupid.

Yusuke cleared his throat. “A-hem!” Bella jumped and whirled around, a hex on her lips. Yusuke blocked it. “Now, now. That’s not very friendly.” He was a bit amused to see that she was clad in an old fashioned, Victorian style nightgown, complete with mob cap.

“You ... you ... who the hell are you?” Bella nearly shrieked in fury. “I’ll hex you into tomorrow.”

“Oh, now, that’s not friendly either. But ... my name is Harry Potter.” Yusuke smirked at her expression.

Bella looked delighted. She actually crooned as she said, “Well, now, isn’t this nice? Widdle Hawy Pottie, in my bedroom.”

Yusuke winced, one of the reasons he didn’t like using the name Harry Potter was that there were so many ways to mangle it. “Yes, Harry Potter. Or Miyamoto Yusuke. I’d be all dramatic and say something like prepare to die, but that’s a bit over the top, don’t you think?”

Bella laughed like the lunatic she was, then, tried to cast a hex. Yusuke just dodged it and replied with one of his own. A wandless bludgeoning hex, that connected with a whump. Bella crashed into the wall behind her with a loud thump.

Her screech of rage didn’t stop Yusuke from casting another spell at her. This one froze her in her tracks, but it didn’t last long. She had mastered only one wandless spell, but Finite Incantatum was very handy. Yusuke laughed as he ducked a gray hex. He wasn’t sure what it was, but that didn’t matter as it didn’t come near him.

“Tell me, Bella, where’s your husband? Or your brother-in-law? Must get lonely.” Yusuke plucked a sword out of mallet space, making Bellatrix blink. “Don’t know? Tisk, tisk.” Yusuke clucked his tongue then laughed. 

Bella screeched, “They serve our Lord. That is enough for me.” 

Sirius, worried about the amount of time it was taking, yelled, “Stop faffing about, damnit.”

Yusuke snorted when Bella flinched. “Yes. Well, he does worry. So...” He cast a hex then swung his sword at her. 

Bella was quick on her feet so she managed to dodge the blow. However, Yusuke was well trained. His forward cut was followed by a back slash that caught Bella off guard. He cut her across the abdomen and she went down with a wail of anguish. He cut that off at the same time he decapitated her. 

He dodged the gush of blood then waited until her heart quit beating. He called, “Clear.” and Remus then Sirius joined him. He waved a hand to clear away the blood. “There.” Another gesture floated the head into the air. Yusuke let it drop into the basket he pulled from mallet space. He used his sword again to cut Bella’s left arm off at the elbow. This he wrapped in a short length of cheap white cotton cloth. 

All his preparations made, he turned, barked, “Come, then.” And folded away. 

Sirius and Remus followed him. 

The second they appeared in the lounge of Ken No Ie, several dansei hurried to relieve them of their burdens. Yusuke gently fended off the man reaching for the basket. “No, thank you. This stays with me.” He handed the wrapped arm to a man. “Wrap that nicely then give it to Sirius. Or Remus.” he waved a hand. “One of you take that to the Minister himself and demand immediate payment. Also, try to get them to pay the rest of their debt. Tell them ... something.”

Sirius decided to take it himself, the ICW had sent him paperwork that said he was free. It seemed that Miyamoto Musashi had the ear of some very important people. The lack of a trial and proof of Peter Pettigrew’s continuing existence put an end to his problems. He felt a bit like rubbing a few noses in things. He wasn’t vindictive, not at all. His smirk made Remus snicker.

Yusuke, well aware of Sirius’ feelings, said, “Don’t rub too hard.” then folded back to his dorm.

.

Yusuke went to bed and to sleep, the battle had worn on him. He hated killing women, although, he had to admit that this one was a difficult kill. She hadn’t gone down easily, so he respected her as an onna-bugeisha, a female warrior. 

He slept well and woke up at the same time that Neville did. He stretched and yawned then called, “Neville. Stay after the others, I’ve got your present.”

Neville called back, “Ok. We’ll wait until the hoy-poloi are out of the room. I think they’re up early, for once.”

Seamus, overhearing them, yelled, “Oi! I resemble that. What sort of secrets are you two keeping?”

Yusuke plucked a cigarette out of where ever and lay back down. He called back, “The sort I’d have to kill you for, if you found them out.” 

Dean laughed as he grabbed his book bag, then said, “Just don’t get any blood on my bed. The house elves would be upset.” There was a clatter and the pounding sound of three pairs of boots as they trampled down the stairs.

Neville grunted, then settled in the middle of his bed. “Damnation, they sound like a herd of cattle.”

Yusuke smirked. “Not going to ask me why they were up so early?”

Neville waved the question away with one hand, remarking, “Not really. I’m sure you have something to do with it. Thanks.”

“Yes, well, here.” Yusuke levitated the basket to Neville. “Take a peek. Then a longer look.”

Neville carefully opened the basked a bit. “Oh, uh.” He dropped the lid. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes. You asked me for it.” Yusuke looked at Neville’s white face. “Did I get it wrong?”

Neville, remembering his joking remark, sighed, “No, I remember. I just really didn’t expect this. Excuse me a second.” He got out of bed, scurried into the bathroom and threw up. He didn’t have anything in his stomach, not having eaten breakfast yet, so he was soon done. He returned to his bed. “Sorry about that. Bit of a shock.”

Yusuke cocked his head. “Sorry? I mean. um ... I’m sorry. Probably should have warned you.” He did actually feel a bit sorry. Sometimes he forgot how innocent Neville and Hermione really were.

“What? And ruin the surprise. Just ... Never had anyone give me a head in a basket before. Um ... would you mind terribly if I sent it to Gran. I think she’d like it. Sort of.” Neville’s expression shifted from worried to grim then back again. 

“Send it if you like.” Yusuke knew that the old lady would probably like it, after she got over the shock. “Maybe you should warn her? She’s a bit old. Yes?”

Neville, still a bit green around the gills, nodded, “She’ll like it. But I will put a note on it.” 

Yusuke controlled his startle but Neville jumped at Hermione’s shrill voice. “Will you two come on? I’m starving.” She came bounding up the stairs. “Oh, presents. What did you get?” 

Neville tried to get to her before she opened the basket but he was on the other side of the bed from both Hermione and the basket. He’d been at Yusuke’s desk, preparing to write the note to his Gran. His cry of, “Don’t!” was much too late as Hermione rushed into something without thinking, again.

Her soft groan faded as she rushed to the bathroom to vomit. Yusuke looked after her with a disgusted expression, Neville just sighed and returned to his note. 

When Hermione recovered her senses, she headed back into the dorm, intent on delivering a rant. She was stopped in her tracks by Yusuke’s furious glower. His firm, “Damara Seru!” froze her in her tracks.

“Yusuke!” She started to say something then shut up at his continued cold stare.

“I said, shut up, and I meant it.” He pointed to Dean’s bed. “Sit down.” Hermione sat, she’d never seen him this angry. “I’ve told you several times that you have personal boundaries issues. This just proves it. You had no business opening that basket without Neville’s stated permission. Now you see why. If you saw something you didn’t like, it serves you right. I am not going to explain, much less justify, myself. What you saw is private, personal business between Neville and me. You should have stayed out of it. Now, do I have to hex you silent or can you keep this to yourself?”

Hermione just sniffled. She managed, “I’m sorry.” before she burst into tears. 

Yusuke ground his teeth. “Neville. Deal. I’m no good with crying women.” And with that, he stormed out of the room. He managed to collect himself before he hit the bottom of the stairs, it wouldn’t do to show such obvious anger. He smoothed the open lapels of his robes, jerked his shirt straight then exited through the common room door. 

.

Neville finished his note, shrank the basket and stuffed the whole mess into the post box, addressed to his Gran. Someone on the other end of the post box would see to it that it was properly delivered. Probably Sirius.

Then he headed down the stairs too. He wasn’t about to cater to Hermione on this, so he called over his shoulder, “When you’re done being a wet mess, get to breakfast.” He realized that he was being mean but he couldn’t help it. Hermione’s habit of rushing headlong into things and then having a fit, accompanied by a rant, was getting very old. He hoped this dose of cold comfort might have an effect. He was also afraid that, if he stayed, he’d give her the rough side of his tongue. 

He settled in a seat next to Yusuke and muttered, “Fuck you, asshole.”

Yusuke just gave him an unrepentant smirk. “Sorry. Hate crying women. She still up there?”

“Suppose so. That’s where I left her, shortly after I sent your present to Ken No Ie for forwarding to Gran. I’d have sent it by Hedwig, but Dumbledore is such a snoop.” He shrugged while serving himself a helping of scramble.

Hermione joined them just before breakfast was done. She listlessly piled eggs and bacon on toast and munching that, picked up her timetable from where it had appeared beside her plate.

Yusuke and Neville also examined their timetables. They all three had the same schedule. 

Neville sighed. “Potions, first thing. Ack! There’s goes my appetite for lunch.”

Yusuke snorted. “Not still scared of Him, are you?”

“No, but it still stinks in the Potions room.” Neville wrinkled his nose at the thought of the stench of the classroom.

They gathered up their things and headed off, Hermione still a bit wet. Both boys ignored it.

.

Kinda feel like this is an odd end to a chapter but here it is. The next chapter is planned to be mostly Dumbledore, Madam Longbottom and Sirius and Remus. I hope. My muse has turned into a roaring thundercunt. Not happy about that at all.

Shiriusu Oji - Uncle Sirius  
Remusu Aniki - big brother Remus  
Yūshi - nephew (child not blood)  
Shitsureishimashita? Sensaina? Nandesuka? - Excuse me? Delicate? What?  
Kono yōna bakadesu! - you are such an idiot!  
To all my new readers: Thank you for joining me on this wild, strange ride I’m taking.

Some people have been complaining about Harry/Yusuke speaking Japanese a lot. Well, He doesn’t want to be there, his grasp of English is a bit shaky, he hasn’t actively spoken it since he went to Japan. (ESL lessons don’t count.) And, finally, he slips when he’s excited or angry. I have a friend who is Mexican, she speaks excellent English but she gets mad or upset and it’s Spanish all the way. Many ESL’s do that. 

I know I have plot holes, some of them huge. But, unless you’re willing to start on AND complete a full re-beta, don’t bother to tell me about them. I’m getting tired of lots of complaining and no help. If three betas didn’t catch them ... sorry.


	25. Chapter 25

It wasn’t long before Yusuke got a message from his father. It wasn’t long, just a name and the phrase, “Dumbledore’s lackey.” Since the only thing he’d had on his plate, beside destroying Voldemort’s gumi, was finding out who was hexing him, and with what exactly, he knew what he needed to do. A quick note to Shiriusu-oji set up the first step.

He was going to have to deal with Dumbledore soon. He didn’t want to have to kill the old man, it wasn’t convenient. He didn’t need to have to deal with the fallout from that particular piece of obvious foolishness. Dumbledore was a symbol of The Light. He, Yusuke, was not. As he’d said before, he was a shadow cast by shadows, and he liked it that way. 

In order to do what he needed to do, he was going to need more time. A lot more time. Hermione would have a complete hissy fit, but he was going to skip classes. He wasn’t sure which ones, yet, he’d have to think about it. 

Yusuke got up and wandered into the bathroom. He was showering when he noticed that his protective bracelet was turning black. This meant that someone had cast another hex on him. He got out of the shower and padded, naked and soaking wet, to the full length mirror on the wall. He cast a diagnostic on himself and found that the honesty hex and another hex had been replaced, probably while he slept. He used a second spell to identify the second hex. It was one designed to make him more accepting of English ways and his English name. He sighed. He was beginning to get really tired of this sort of thing. And that made him angry. He couldn’t remember who had said it first, but they really weren’t going to like him when he was angry. He removed the spells and returned to his shower.

After a shower he always exercised, in this case he did a complete kata, watched Neville in his exercises then led Neville through a yoga routine that saw both of them panting and sweating. Yusuke plucked a cigaret from thin air and puffed a couple of times. “That tobacco you gave me is excellent. I’m saving it for special occasions.” He smoked for a moment then continued, “You’re doing very well. I’d put you up against any green belt. But I expect you to continue to improve at the same rate.”

Neville grinned. “Well, thank you. I’ll try my best.”

Yusuke just nodded. “You always do. Run tomorrow?”

“Ok. Shower ... now.” Neville sniffed himself. “Ugh!”

Yusuke waved his hand to cast a cleaning charm over both of them. He explained with a smirk. “So we don’t stink poor Hermione out.”

As they walked back to the dorm, Yusuke told Neville about the honesty hex. He knew he could trust Neville to keep his silence as well as come up with an idea of what to do about it. 

Neville thought in silence for several meters then said, “You know who’s doing it?”

“Chichi-ue said Fudge was sending an Unspeakable to do it. But ... I think Dumbledore dropped a hint or two. So, I’m turning Shiriusu-oji lose on Fudge. Dumbledore ... I don’t want to mess with him, yet. As to the Unspeakable? What to do? Any ideas?”

Neville got a particularly evil smile on his round face. “Well, there’s a muggle saying that even Gran knows. Turn about is fair play. Need an explanation?”

Yusuke blinked for a moment. “No. No, I don’t. Now, all I need is to find the subject.”

Under the Ministry For Magic an Unspeakable shivered; a sudden, violent, second long shake. When questioned he said, “Goose must have walked on my grave.” then he went back to his work. 

.

Remus Lupin spent some of his time getting Ken No Ie organized to suit him. The way the gaki had the place organized led to them running up and down stairs to the cellars a dozen times a day. The noise was annoying, to say the least. So staples were moved up to the pantry, and the boots and coats to the entry way. 

The rest of his time, he spent haunting areas better not discussed in polite company. He paid for drinks, listened to rumors and threatened a few people. He didn’t find out much of interest but he laid the groundwork for later. And, he hated to admit it, he did enjoy a good fight, especially if it was with some ignorant, poor pureblood. Not all purebloods were rich, Weasleys came to mind, nor were they all intelligent, Crabbe or Goyle for example.

Free drinks aside, many of the remaining gutter dogs were happy to talk to Remus. They didn’t want anything to do with Him and were hopeful that Remus could find some way to protect them from being Shanghaied into His service. Remus recommended Neighborhood Watch style groups. He left organizing them up to the Knockturn Alley folks themselves. 

Then he did something he’d always wanted to do. Now that he had Diplomatic Immunity, granted by Fudge himself; under protest to be sure, but granted none the less; he was going shopping. 

His shopping trip was very successful. It started at Madam Malkin’s Robes for Every Occasion. 

He entered the shop and politely asked the ‘pinner’ if Madam was available. She was, but the pinner, the girl responsible for pinning up hems, said that she wasn’t available to his ‘sort’. He just bowed and left, only saying that it was too bad they didn’t want his business. He left behind a mark that people in the know would recognize. Madam was to lose nearly half her business, the paying half. 

His next stop was at a small shop which catered to a small clientele, mostly Aurors. He knew the clerk from the old days. He had been privileged to be given a set of their robes by James. He still had them, thread bare though they were. So, now, he was going to offer them a chance.

The journeyman tailor was happy to see a customer. The business had always operated on a thread, pun intended, Aurors being what they were, and the chance to dress someone attached to Harry Potter was something he wouldn’t pass up. He was pulling his tape out of his pocket as he showed Remus to the measuring room.

It didn’t take long for Sartor Needleman to take measurements. Then he asked what sort of robes Remus wanted. Remus explained exactly what he wanted. Snuff Brown linseywoolsy with cooling and warming charms, hex and water repellent, double layered robes with matching suit trousers and vest. After it was all written up, Mr Needleman sighed, “Well, are you sure?” Remus nodded. “Very well then.” The total wasn’t nearly what someone like Malfoy or Nott would have spent but it was considerable.

Remus just got out his money bag and paid in cash, on the spot. “I’ll be back in ...” he raised an eyebrow.

“Three days. But we do offer free owl delivery.” Mr Needleman waited while Remus considered this.

“Very well. The address is Ken No Ie, Hogsmead, Hogshead, Scotland.” Remus left to the tinkle of the bell over the door. He marked this door as well. The business was to triple within the next 30 days. All paid in cash, in advance. Yusuke’s arm was long.

.

Sirius Black was in his element. Pranking the entire Ministry For Magic was actually making him a bit giddy.

He and Yusuke had communicated via post box after Yusuke had gotten the letter from his father. He agreed with Yusuke that embarrassing Fudge was the first step in their mission.

Sirius had learned several things in Japan, including how to use their foci instead of a wand. He still carried a wand, and recommended that Yusuke do the same. Any hit-wizard or Auror worth his salt would go for the wand in an attempt to disarm them. This left them free to use their real focus to do some serious damage. 

So, when he had his wand weighed and registered as he entered the Ministry, it didn’t worry him at all. What he was about to do was not going to show later. No one in Britain knew how to cast Priori Incantatem on a ring. He wondered idly if it could even be done.

It didn’t even bother him when the wand station attendant announced that he was keeping Sirius’ wand. He’d return it when Sirius left. Sirius just laughed at him, that barking, maniacal laugh that had so annoyed Lily, and informed him that he had no ‘just cause’. The man grumbled but gave it back with ill grace.

As he strolled through the Ministry, Sirius noted several things; the way the elevators opened, windows, odd doors that didn’t seem to go anywhere and other oddities. Oddities even in the Wizarding world. He checked in at the Auror Desk, just to annoy whoever was on duty. He found that most of his old crowd couldn’t even look at him. The few that could promised to get together with him within the next few days. He handed out cards with his floo address, owl mail directions and went on his way.

He didn’t get far. Some young Auror Trainee saw him, and, not having read a memo in months, jumped him. 

Now, jumping an ex-Auror Marauder who had been retrained by a Yakuza master assassin was really not good for your health.

The trainee jumped out of a doorway, yelled, “You’re under arrest!” and went down like a ton of bricks. 

Sirius had drawn his wand, barked, “Stupefy.” and was tucking it back up his sleeve before the body hit the floor. He smiled at Moody, eyed the now unconscious trainee and said, “Clean up that mess, will you.” 

Moody eyed him for a moment then snorted, “Well, seems you remember your training. Get on with you. I’ll be in touch, if I need to.” He levitated the man into an upright position then flicked his wand. The man woke up, staggered then yelped as Moody grabbed him by one ear and dragged him away.

Sirius called after them, “You can find out where I am from someone. If you need me.” Then he sauntered away, whistling the Baby Elephant Walk.

His wandering led him through every level of the Ministry. No one denied him entry, it was more than their jobs were worth, Fudge himself had left orders that Lord Sirius Orion Black was to be given every consideration. Sirius took shameless advantage of that to poke into every corner. While he as doing that, he cast a quick, wandless, Priori Incantatem on the wands of anyone he thought powerful enough to cast an Honesty Hex on Yusuke. As he did this he also checked for companion hexes. He wasn’t sure what hex it would be paired with but he was looking anyway.

He penetrated the basement offices of the Unspeakable’s with a bit of trouble, but he managed by following a woman in a grey robe. He tried to flirt with her, which she found annoying. She hurried along, ignoring him as best she could and led him right into the Unspeakable office area. He wandered around asking inane questions and poking into corners. No one noticed that every time he asked a question he waived a hand over the persons wand. It was common practice for people to just put their wand down on their desk, incase they needed it, so it was easy. No one noticed the faint indicator color as they were looking at Sirius or studiously ignoring him. 

He found his man after about an hour of wandering and questioning. He marked the name of the man in his memory, and left him a bit of a surprise, in the form of a handful of small candies called Sparkles. The tiny W3 on the wrapper should have been warning enough, but Unspeakable Alfonse Mathison didn’t notice. He did notice the gastric distress, flatulence and halitosis he developed ten minutes after finishing the last one.

Sirius finally decided that he’d tortured the entire Ministry enough and made his way to Fudge’s office. 

Minister Fudge was seated at his desk, frowning at the papers that his secretary had handed him, Weatherby or Weasleby, he could never remember. The Wizengamot had agreed to pay Sirius Black for his years in prison. At the rate of pay he would have earned as an Auror, Senior Auror then Detective Auror. It was a considerable sum of money. He was not happy, but there was nothing he could do about it. Public Opinion was pushing him out the door and he was hanging on to the door frame desperately.

Sirius settled into a squashy chair in front of Fudge’s desk. He waited for Fudge to say something, but all Fudge could do was open and close his mouth like a guppy. Sirius Black was not what he’d expected.

He’d expected some wild-eyed, maniacal, ill-dressed person. What he got was a smooth, suave, laughing eyed, well dressed gentlewizard who sat calmly, smirking slightly, waiting for him to gather his senses and say something -- well, sensible. 

He cleared his throat. “Ahem. Yes, well. Apologies and all that. I had a bank draft made out to you for your reparation. All you have to do is take it to Gringotts, deposit it in your account and Bob’s your uncle, everything’s all made up.”

Sirius sneered in a way that reminded Fudge that he was a Black. “Oh, yes, I’m sure. As to that...” he flicked his fingers. “never mind. But you do owe my godson quite a bit as well. I’m here to collect it. Do have Percy make out another draft, if you please. I have an accounting right here.” He extracted the papers from an inner pocket and passed them across the desk with a flick of his hand. And cast an Honesty Hex on Fudge at the same time.

Fudge sputtered a bit, blurting, “Bu-but, that’s ... that’s outrageous. He should be doing this as his civil duty. He’s the Hero of the Wizarding World. He’s the Boy-Who-Lived.”

Sirius just shrugged, “He’s also Miyamoto Yusuke. A Yakuza Kumicho, head of a minor house, to be sure. But he is also his father’s favorite. He feels no connection to Britain at all. So you pay. And if you don’t pay? I do get the feeling that he’ll turn all this ...” Sirius waved a hand in a vague motion to the paperwork. “over to me. Now ... in my day, Aurors took legal classes as well as enforcement. I think I remember my law well enough to say that you cannot withhold Harry Potter’s inheritance from me ... as his godfather. I’m sure I’ll waste most of it in legal fees, but the hope that he might get most of it will send him back to Japan, post haste. Think before you alienate him any more than he already is. Now. Bank Draft?”

Fudge sputtered and blustered a bit, then caved. The threat of Rita Skeeter getting wind of anything quashed his last quibble. He had the other bank draft made up, admitting as he did that he couldn’t be bothered to remember his assistant’s name. The boy was just a nonentity to him. Sirius just smirked and left.

.

Lucius Malfoy was a very frightened man. His idiot son was the cause, as usual. He never feared Voldemort, his Master well knew that he couldn’t afford to kill his most valuable financial backer. But Draco was going to be the death of him yet. If Draco didn’t annoy Voldemort into killing him, Miyamoto Yusuke would. He was never going to convince himself to think of that hard eyed young man as Harry Potter.

His intelligence network within Hogwarts, namely Severus Snape, had sent him a letter plainly telling him that Draco was on a razors edge of causing an incident. One he might not survive. Draco’s survival depended directly on how much he irritated Miyamoto.

He wrote a letter to his friend, enclosing one to Draco, telling him to deal with Draco any way necessary. The letter to Draco told him to not to do whatever it was he was planning on doing under threat of Professor Snape’s displeasure. He hoped it would work. He was afraid it wouldn’t.

He was an odd man, in a way. He really loved his wife and son, as much as he was able to. He didn’t want anything to happen to either one of them. But, he was caught between two masters. And didn’t like it much. He was well aware that his son wasn’t what he’d hoped he’d be. He wasn’t aware that his neglectful spoiling had just ruined Draco. He always sent mixed signals. Special presents delivered by house elf weren’t a real good idea. This led Draco to do almost anything to get Lucius’ attention. Even a thundering scold was better than absent minded dismissal. And Draco’s ‘contact’ promised many things, if he’d help their ‘Lord” including his father’s undivided attention as he was a ‘good’ agent for their superior.

Thus, Draco was in everyone’s black books. Lucius’ for endangering himself by annoying Yusuke-san and Voldemort’s for failing. That vanishing cabinet stunt disgusted Lucius. Draco’s attempts at subtlety resembled a bludger to the head. All the annoyance was getting to Lucius and his ‘masters’ constant, irritating summonses were becoming more than unpleasant. He decided to do as Miyamoto Musashi requested and send him the information he wanted, then head for parts unknown, wife in tow. His son would stay at Hogwarts and fend for himself. If he got himself killed, well, he and Narcissa were still young. 

He settled at his desk to spend the night writing. He dispatched his report early the next morning, told Narcissa to pack for an extended stay at their chalet in the Swiss Alps and left. He was to spend the next year or two relaxing, learning to administer his estates from a distance and writing a book. But, as far as the British magical community was concerned he and Narcissa were out of the picture. Miyamoto Musashi was to call on him a few times for different things, which he responded to, but he kept his head down and his money to himself until the war was over.

.

Yusuke nodded to the messenger and took the dispatch. They’d decided to just have everything hand delivered to both Neville and him, mostly for the annoyance factor. Sirius was using Hedwig for his personal mail. She seemed happy with the arrangement, especially since Sirius and Remus had gotten together to put a hex on her. One that colored the hands of anyone who waylaid her a bright lime green. 

“Wait.” Yusuke turned to the letter and read quickly. He frowned for a moment then grumbled, “Well, damn. I completely forgot about that.” He turned to the messenger and said in Japanese, “Tell Shiriusu-oji that I’ll need him to come get me tonight. I’ll deal. He should place massive bets on me ... for three fights. That ought to put them out of business.”

The messenger grinned, barked, “Hai, Hai, Kumicho.” and left with a definite swagger to his step.

Hermione managed to ask quite politely, “Where are you going? And how are you going to get out of school without trouble?”

Yusuke smirked. “I have always had permission to leave. No one can stop me when my Father, and the Minister of Magic, allow me to go. I just hadn’t wanted to make too big a deal of it. Now, I have things to do.” He thought for a moment then decided. “Would you like to go with?”

Hermione nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Yusuke turned to Neville. “Neville-kun?”

“Yes, please. But where are we going?” Neville would go anywhere with Yusuke, just to rub Ron’s nose in the fact that he could. 

Yusuke had given up on not smoking in the Great Hall. No one seemed to care, except for Hermione. He picked a cigaret out of thin air and began to smoke it. “You know what a fight club is?”

Neville looked blank, but Hermione nodded. She explained to Neville that a fight club was an illegal club where uncertified boxers fought in unsanctioned matches without proper supervision or medical after care.

Yusuke nodded to her. “Very good. Except that this club is Mixed Martial Arts. They’ve been warned several times. Refuse to pay proper prizes, or protection and ... at least one fighter has died due to improper care after a bout. So, I’m closing it down. Twice over.”

Hermione looked puzzled at that. “Twice over?”

Yusuke nodded. “Yes. I’m going to close the club down, after breaking the owners and backers financially. That way the roaches get stepped on, instead of scurrying into the woodwork and coming out later to start all over again. I’ll kill one or two, if I have to. But I do prefer a slow escalation rather than a nuclear approach.”

Hermione sighed. “Ok, I get it.” She nodded at Neville, who had been following their conversation with a blank expression. She turned to him to explain all the unfamiliar expressions. Yusuke was pleased to see that she had finally amended her technique. Instead of the lecturing, hectoring tone she used to use, she actually sounded like a teacher who cared. She even refrained from rolling her eyes when a few of Neville’s questions verged on silly.

“Oi! We need to get to class.” Yusuke looked around. He caught sight of Headmistress McGonagall, and nodded to her. “Herself is here.”

Hermione grumbled, “Oh, dear, what now?”

Headmistress McGonagall grumbled back. “Cheeky.” But she smiled slightly and started handing out schedules. “New timetables. And you’ll all notice that, as you are sixth years, you’ll be doing even more self study than you did last semester. Professor Lockhart has decided that teaching doesn’t suit him and resigned.” She eyed Yusuke. “I don’t suppose you know anything about it, Miyamoto-san?”

Yusuke gave her a blank look and drawled, “Boku? Iie!” which made Hermione snicker and Neville poke her.

Headmistress McGonagall just gave one sharp nod and returned, “And that’s your story and you’re sticking to it. I know.”

Neville nodded once and said, “Just so. So what are we doing for Defense?”

McGonagall sighed, “Headmaster Dumbledore has had no success in finding a new professor so you will be reading the books and taking tests over content. I’m very ... disappointed in that.”

Yusuke just shrugged. It wasn’t his responsibility to teach all the students defense, it was Hogwarts. But he would continue to teach Neville, Hermione too, if she wanted. And, if she could handle being one of his students. He didn’t think she could, but he’d let her try.

They headed for the juku to arrange their schedule books and get organized for the new term. 

Hermione was barely through the door before she turned to Yusuke and demanded, “You had something to do with Lockhart ... spill.”

Yusuke just plucked a cigaret from where ever and started talking.

**flashback**

Yusuke folded in from Japan. It was two in the afternoon there, around midnight here in England. 

It didn’t take him long to jimmy the door to Lockhart’s small apartment and slip into the lounge. He spent a moment examining the desk. Much to his disgust, Lockhart was writing a book about how he’d trained Harry Potter. Needless to say, the parchments went up in a large puff of stinking smoke. The top of the desk was also charred beyond recovery.

Now that Yusuke knew what Lockhart had been doing since he’d been un-petrified, he was rather annoyed. He’d intended to politely explain that he, Lockhart wasn’t to return to Hogwarts, now he was going to just scare the shit out of him, then tell him.

“Lockhart, come out.” Yusuke waved his hand and a small pink ball hovered at shoulder height for a moment then darted off. A loud yelp sounded from the kitchen pantry.

Lockhart had taken refuge in his pantry just off the kitchen. The pink light of Yusuke’s ‘find it’ spell had startled him as it flew through the door and hovered in his face. 

Yusuke followed the ball of light and the yelp to find Lockhart scrabbling at the back wall of his pantry as if he could claw a door out of solid stone. He sighed then demanded, “Will you stop that? I’m not going to actually hurt you ... much.” He grabbed a whimpering Lockhart by the collar and dragged him out of the pantry. He dumped him on the floor then waved his hand. Lockhart stood up as he didn’t have much choice, the spell dragged him upright whether he liked it or not.

“What do you want? Please, don’t hurt me. I’m famous you know.” His hopeful expression made Yusuke scowl. “Well, I am.”

“And so am I famous. Perhaps you forgot that, although I do not like the name, I am Harry Potter. Boy-Who-Lived. And all that shite. I am also No Wadi Omo, the Young Lord; and Shinigami-kun, Little God of Death; and Shikkō-sha, the Enforcer. And I tell you now ...” He leaned down to speak right in Lockhart’s ear; “Anata wa, ōkina inu to issho ni jikkō dekinai baai wa, engawa ni taizai.”

Lockhart whimpered, “I don’t understand.”

“If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.” Yusuke sneered at him. “And you definitely can’t run with the big dogs. I’d recommend that you don’t return to Hogwarts. Understand?”

“Yes ... yes ... I understand.” Lockhart stared into Yusuke's eyes for a moment. “Please don’t kill me.”

“I would never sully my sword with your blood.” Yusuke mushed him in the face, knocking him to the floor. He then sauntered out the door, coat tails swinging, curls of smoke trailing after him.

The door slammed and Lockhart went to change his trousers before he packed everything he owned and headed for parts unknown.

**end flashback**

Hermione nodded then asked “So, you really don’t know where he went?”

Yusuke blew out smoke, straightened his open student robes and shrugged, “No. I really don’t care where he went ... as long as he isn’t here, I’m satisfied.” he picked a bit of imaginary lint off his BDU trousers then checked the shine on his soft soled, lace up boots. He’d chosen to wear a dark navy blue today.

Neville bit his lip for a moment then asked, “And who’s going to be DA Professor now?”

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose. “Don’t know, don’t care. You don’t need that class anyway.”

Hermione agreed but pointed out, “Maybe you two don’t need it but the rest of us do.”

“And that’s my problem? It’s up to the staff and Board of Governors to make sure that all staff is up to ... par? Is that the word?” Yusuke looked at Hermione. She nodded. “It is the duty of students to learn, the duty of teachers to teach. Enough.”

Hermione thought about that for a moment then returned to her food, saying, “Not to enlarge your already gigantic ego, but you’re right.”

Yusuke replied, “Of course I am.” and picked up his bag to head to class.

This semesters class schedule was the same as last, except that the DA class was now all self study. This didn’t bother the sixth and seventh years much, but the lower years were going to suffer. The first and second years didn’t have the background in theory to do anything much and the third, fourth and fifth years didn’t have the discipline necessary. All in all, it was truly a mess. Dumbledore’s blithe, “Someone will turn up.” didn’t help at all.

Hermione trotted after him, mumbling under her breath, “Oh, yes, let’s all just flounder around like fish out of water. Dumbledore, you’re senile.”

Neville snickered. He was well aware that one hundred thirty some years of life, duties in a national institution, an international political body and duties as headmaster was a sure recipe for disaster. It had just taken a while to build up. Now it was all coming crashing down around the headmaster’s ears, and he didn’t even notice. He was too busy mixing in where he wasn’t wanted, the ICW was about to implode, the Wizengamot was at cross purposes and Hogwarts was run by Assistant Headmistress McGonagall. Neville wondered how easy it would be to sideline the old man, before Magical Britain was beyond help.

Yusuke looked over his shoulder. “You coming?”

“Right behind you.” Neville caught up. “How many of the classes are we going to skip?”

Hermione bit her lip. It was against her principles to skip but, “History and Defense for sure. I don’t think we can skip Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Runes or Arithmancy. But each class is on a different day, except for Runes and Arithmancy which are both on Friday. Labs are now optional for everything except Potions, according to the board in the common room. Dumbledore said.” She scrunched up her face in annoyance.

“Yes, he says many things ... without supplying any useful information.” Yusuke settled at his desk. “And when, I am insolent enough to ask, has he actually done anything helpful for Hogwarts?”

Class was as uninteresting as classes got. They studied theory, asked questions and debated. Yusuke tried to introduce some Ethics but got a blank look, even from Professor Flitwick. He decided that British magicals didn’t have the common sense of a pea-hen.

The rest of the day was free. Yusuke noticed that too many students spent that free time messing about, as Hermione put it. 

As he wandered the halls he listened to the gossip. Most of it was about how nice it was to have an extra free period and be rid of Lockhart. Some of it was general cattiness on the part of one girl who was unhappy with another. But one voice stood out, Ron Weasley.

“I don’t get it. Why does Potter get to leave the grounds when the rest of us can’t? It’s not fair. He gets all sorts of privileges, just because he’s rich.” George shushed him. “And don’t shush me! I don’t care if he’s standing right behind me.”

“Well, aho, I am. So ...” Yusuke eyed the red faced boy. “you think it’s a great privilege to leave the grounds at will? Yes?” he walked around Ron. “But it is a privilege earned, not given. Would you like to come with me? Learn a bit about earning things?”

Ron snatched onto the invitation without listening to the second question. “Me? Go with you? Sure thing! When do we leave?”

“At five. Don’t be late.” Yusuke eyed him again. “And dress Muggle.”

.

Ron got Neville to help him dress. His wardrobe actually yielded an acceptable outfit of jeans, button down shirt, jumper and hiking boots. He did have to borrow a proper coat from Seamus.

Neville dressed in jeans, gansey and heavy boots with a squall jacket over all.

Hermione dressed much the same as Neville, proudly showing off her new, leather pocket book. The expansion charms and feather light allowed it to carry almost as much as her school bag. She’d stuffed it with everything she thought she’d need in any emergency she could think of.

Sirius met them at the main gate, sending a gaki up to Hogwarts to lead them all down. He smiled at Hermione, nodded at Neville and raised an eyebrow at Ron.

Yusuke just shrugged and led the way, folding into the club, sure that the rest would follow.

Sirius took Hermione, Remus took Neville and an unidentified waka brought Ron. They folded in right behind Yusuke making an impressive group. It didn’t take long for everyone in the club to notice them.

Yusuke motioned to the chief promoter. He hurried over to see what the group wanted.

“I will fight tonight. Miyamoto Yusuke. My man.” Yusuke motioned to Remus. 

“Other names?” The promoter was already sweating. 

“Harry Potter.”

The promoter nearly fainted. Despite what the Ministry thought, many people in the underbelly of society knew about magic in a vague way. They also knew all the top players. Harry Potter and Miyamoto Yusuke were both well known, now it was also known that they were one person. 

“I will fight three bouts. There will be bets. There better be cash enough to cover them, or there will be ... Hermione?” Yusuke appealed to her for the terms he wanted.

“Hell to pay, is good.” Hermione eased closer to Sirius, she wasn’t sure she liked this club after all.

“Yes, Hell to pay.” Yusuke smiled, a cold and deadly expression then patted the promoter on the cheek. “Shiriusu-oji, keep Hermione close, please.”

“Hai, Bossu.” Sirius smirked at the promoter who scurried away to place the already written bets, and wipe the sweat from his brow.

Neville just gazed around at the first muggle establishment he’d ever been in. He wasn’t impressed. The arena was dimly lit, the seating thread-bare and greasy and it was generally dirty, unkempt and it stank. 

Ron was just in a state of total shock. The smells were weird, the furniture unfamiliar, the light more even but dimmer than what he was used to. He moved when the waka poked him then sat in the chair he pointed at. “You ... stay. I watch. No eat, no drink. I give, ok. Yes?” Ron nodded, still gazing around, wide eyed.

Hermione whispered to Sirius. “Is he really going to fight a grown man?”

Sirius nodded. “Yeah, he is. Three times.” He looked at Hermione then added, “If you get sick, let me know. I’ll have someone take you back to Hogwarts.”

Hermione sat down on a couch, muttering, “Don’t think so. I’m in for the long haul, no matter what.” she glared at Sirius then Remus, “Someone has to be the voice of reason.” she huffed irritably, crossing her arms over her chest.

Neville plopped down beside her. “That’s my girl.”

“Idiot.”

Neville just shrugged. “So?”

They were silenced by a waiter asking if they wanted anything, Neville shuddered and shook his head, Hermione politely said, “No, thank you for asking.” Ron started to order then looked at a nearby table and refused. The food looked underdone and greasy. He wasn’t stupid and knew better than to eat anything that looked like that, his Mum would have a fit.

After a short wait, the promoter, who Yusuke called a bucho, or general manager, came up to ask a few questions on how Yusuke wanted to do things. Yusuke told him in exquisite detail. The bucho didn’t object he just winced and did his job. The treats he provided were, he proudly said, from the nice restaurant down the street.

Yusuke settled on a couch with the bucho bent over his shoulder, he was obviously giving the man instructions, which made him start to sweat again. He finally nodded, agreed to what ever it was that Yusuke wanted and went away.

.

Yusuke looked around at the club. It was dirty, noisy and reeked. He would be glad to shut it down and find the fighters a better place. He noticed that all the fighters were crowded into a small, roped of area in a corner. He did not approve. He also noticed the lack of any care facilities.

“Shiriusu-oji, find a medic.”

Sirius just tipped his head in Remus’ direction. “Remus can do it. He’s even got his kit.”

“Good. Bets placed?” Yusuke was sure they were but it didn’t hurt to check.

“Yes. They were so eager that I bet half again what you said. We’ll clean up and clean them out.” Sirius smirked at his godson and boss. “You’re third on the ticket.”

“Third? I would have thought that I would be farther down.” Yusuke was usually billed as a main event.

“There is no farther down. Tonight is thin. Some of the fighters have refused to fight. The owner is trying to force them back but it’s not working.” Sirius pointed to the owner. “He’s over there. The guy who looks like he’s about to choke on a lemon.”

Yusuke gave the owner a once over. “Hum. Don’t think much of him, he looks like a ...” Yusuke groped for the word he wanted. “Small, furry. Looks a bit like Malfoy.”

Hermione giggled. “A ferret. And they smell bad too.”

Neville snickered. “Ferret ... Malfoy.” he nudged Ron in the ribs, causing Ron to pay attention. 

Ron nodded. “Yeah, he is. But ...” he motioned to the room. “Are we safe here? I mean, really?”

Remus patted Ron on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine. Just stay in the box, no one will bother you here. It’s more than their lives are worth ... to mess with the Yamaguchi-gumi is suicide.”

Ron gulped then asked, “Yamaguchi? I thought Potter was called Miyamoto.”

“Hidden Clan. No one messes with them. Their Enforcer is deadly.” he winked. “I should know.”

Ron whimpered and wondered why he’d thought this was such a good idea.

Neville nudged Hermione then pointed, the announcer was beginning his spiel. He gave the usual rundown of the fighters, matches and available refreshments. He also announced a special match, three bouts between Miyamoto Yusuke and their three best fighters. He did not say, ‘of the available fighters.’ 

Hermione looked around then asked the sensible question. “Where’s your locker room?”

Yusuke snorted. “They don’t have one. The fighters are expected to come in ready to fight and leave to tend themselves somewhere else. Suggestion?”

“Well, we can’t do anything magical as the crowd is mixed but ... um ...” she looked hesitant.

Yusuke nodded to her and said, “Go on.”

“Have someone sneak off and conjure a couple of sheets. Then have them hold them up on poles or something. That will give you some privacy and rub everyone’s nose in the fact that there should be some sort of private changing room.” Hermione glowered at a nearby server, making the poor man wonder what he’d done now.

“Excellent idea. Very good. Shiriusu-oji?” Yusuke glanced at Sirius.

“On it. Just take a second.” Sirius looked around, spotted a gaki he knew was good at transfiguration and gave him orders. The gaki walked into the dim back of the room and returned seconds later with the required materials. They were put aside until needed, tucked away on the floor at the back of the box.

With that, they all settled down to watch the preliminary bouts. These turned out to be young fighters who didn’t know better than what they were getting. Yusuke sent Remus to medic both winner and loser in each bout. 

This was needed as neither fighter seemed to understand the science of boxing, nor any other form of hand-to-hand. They just whaled away at each other until one, or both, couldn’t fight any longer. The crowd, needless to say, was not pleased, their boo’s let everyone know. Betting was at a stand still as were liquor sales and the food was thrown rather than eaten. 

Four miserable bouts later, the crowd was restlessly milling and grumbling. The announcer was very pleased to call the last bout a tie, let the fighters retreat to the back corner of the room to be tended to and announce the main event. 

“And now, Miyamoto Yusuke, the youngest fighter on our ticket tonight. Versus Orlando Clark.” The announcer babbled on about weight classes and MMA rules while the audience watched Yusuke get ready.

This wasn’t as interesting as some had hoped, Yusuke stood up, the sheets were arranged on the poles and he stepped behind them. He emerged moments later dressed in a gi. It wasn’t anything fancy, just plain white cotton, belted with a black belt. The kanji embroidered on the back didn’t make sense to most but Hermione could read it. It said “Devine Wind”, or Kamikaze. She blinked for a moment then murmured, “Oh, dear.”

Neville sighed, he could read it too. He patted Hermione on the shoulder. “Don’t worry.”

Ron just ignored the whole thing, he was already bored. He’d seen better fights between his brothers.

As the announcer finished, Yusuke joined him in the ring. The other fighter also joined him. The announcer went through the rules then said, “Ok, clean fight. Break when told. No eye gouging or groin shots. Shake hands.”

Orlando offered his hand and Yusuke took it, pleased that his opponent didn’t try to crush it. They shook then went to their corners. Orlando had a corner man, Remus was Yusuke’s.

The first round went as expected, both fighters danced a lot, feeling each other out. Yusuke got the first blow, hitting Orlando in the short ribs just before the bell. They retreated to their corners.

Remus gave Yusuke a drink of water from an unopened bottle. “Stop messing about. You can take him, why not do it?”

“Don’t want to ruin his career. He’s a nice man. Just in the wrong club. See if you can’t sign him up for the new one.” Yusuke took a second drink but spit it out into the spit can Remus held for him. The third drink he swallowed. “Ready.”

Remus signaled the announcer that his man was ready. A second signal from Orlando’s corner man set the second round in motion.

This round was more active. Orlando led off with a series of kicks, designed to put his opponent off his balance and allow a punch or two through his guard. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Yusuke allowed the kicks to land, on his outer thighs, the heavy muscles there absorbed the punishment easily. He took one blow to the chest but shook it off.

When his kicks didn’t have the desired results, Orlando got flustered. Yusuke took advantage of this and got in a shot to the jaw that rattled Orlando’s brains. He then took several shots to the abdomen that left him short winded and dropped his guard. Another shot to the face put him down for the count.

Yusuke obediently went to his corner, wiping blood out of the corner of his mouth. The one shot to the chest had caught him a bit by surprise and he’d bitten his lip.

Remus pealed Yusuke’s lip back, slapped a swab with clotting gel on the cut and ignored the announcer.

The announcer just proclaimed Yusuke the winner and called the next bout in ten minutes.

When Remus was done with Yusuke, he went to take a look at Orlando. The man wasn’t really hurt, just stunned. Remus announced that he would be fine with some rest, and turned him over to a gaki who took Orlando away for a sit down with Sirius.

The second bout was called. The announcer gave the names again, Yusuke’s opponent was named Jason, no last name given. As many club fighters didn’t give real names or only their first or last name, this didn’t raise an eyebrow. What did raise an eyebrow or two was the fact that Jason was a Light Heavyweight while Yusuke was a Bantamweight. There was some groaning from the crowd.

Neville put one hand on Hermione’s shoulder and whispered, “Don’t worry. Yusuke won’t kill him.”

Hermione sighed, huffed and settled back in her seat.

Ron grumbled, “What’s the problem?”

Hermione was pleased to explain that Yusuke and Jason weren’t in the same weight class, Ron’s puzzled look led to a lecture on weight classes, what classes were used in what Commissions and violations of same. Ron started to shut her down, but a black glower from Neville shut him up. Neville figured that, if Hermione was haranguing Ron, she wouldn’t be worrying about Yusuke. Sirius smirked at him over Hermione’s head.

When the match was called, Yusuke proved that he was a capable strategist. It wasn’t wise for him to go all out and down Jason in one second, which he could have done. He needed to run the bout up, other wise the bettors might withdraw their bets. So he let Jason have a bit of him, letting the other fighter beat on him a bit before he rallied and put him down for the count. This three round bout classified as what the old timers would have called a mill. Neither fighter displayed any science to speak of, they just whaled away at each other until the round was called then retreated to their corner for their corner man to patch them up then they were back at it again.

Jason was led away by his owner, so called because he ‘owned’ Jason’s contract, who was upset that he’d been knocked out. Yusuke sent Sirius to ask if they’d like Remus to look at him. The owner agreed that that was a good idea, his corner man was just a cut man, not a medic. Remus checked him over, announced that he’d just had his bell rung and should rest for the night, and sent him home. The owner took him out of the club.

By now Hermione was a bit on the frantic side. She hadn’t realized that they weren’t allowed to magically heal Yusuke between bouts. His split lip, swelling jaw and bruised ribs had her twitching like a worm on a griddle. Ron was also a bit put off, he was more used to bruising and such, but his Mum healed things up quickly. Neville was the only one of the three that wasn’t squirming out of his skin, he’d been just as battered and bruised himself. Yusuke had taken his training to the next level.

Remus took a moment between matches to speak to Sirius, assuring him that Yusuke would have no trouble with the last match. Sirius went to make a few more side bets. He had his eye on a few patrons that needed to be taken down a peg or two.

The third bout was called. Yusuke cracked his neck and climbed back into the ring. This time he wasn’t fooling around. He’d had Sirius place bets on each bout of his match, especially on what round he’d end it in and whether it was a KO or TKO. This match was to be round one, KO, unless betting heated up. Yusuke didn’t like the man he was matched against. He’d purposely crippled one of his opponents just to win a bet.

This bout was going to be harder, yet easier. Harder, because the man was nearly three times Yusuke’s size, being a Super Heavyweight. Easier, because Yusuke intended to beat him down. Then he intended to ruin the club manager and owner. No one with any sense matched men out of their weight class, especially that far apart. According to the rules that Miyamoto Musashi set down, it was inexcusable.

The last bout was announced and Yusuke’s opponent was the Super Heavyweight Champion of the club. Wight Houser was huge, hard and obviously not happy. He took one look at Yusuke and turned to his partner and sponsor. He demanded to know what the Hell they thought they were doing, having him fight a child. His partner just showed him the clause in his contract that forced him to fight whom ever the club wanted him to. He threw up his hands and agreed to fight. After all, it wouldn’t take him more than one punch to put the kid down and out, if not outright kill him.

This bout was going to be the money maker. Yusuke glanced around, Sirius signaled to draw the bout out to at least three rounds. The longer the bout lasted the more people would bet on it. And they would all bet on Houser. Yusuke wasn’t going to throw the match, he was just going to play wounded bird. He was going to take damage, look half broken then take Houser down hard.

The first round consisted of Yusuke absorbing punches to his abdomen and kidneys while back peddling in an effort to stay out of his opponents longer reach. It didn’t look as successful as it actually was. Oh, he took some serious shots, but not as much damage as he pretended to. When the bell rang, he returned to his corner, dropped onto the stool and sighed.

Remus gave Yusuke some water, which he swished around then spat out. It was tinged slightly pink. 

“How’s it going?” Remus offered water again.

Yusuke swallowed this mouthful then replied, “Good. He’s going to lose his temper soon. Betting?”

“Through the roof. If you finish this next round, we’ll still own everything the club has and a couple of first born kids. I’d go ahead and end it next round. No sense in taking any more damage than you have to. Asshole is split between enjoying beating on you and pissed that he can’t get in a better punch. He’ll lose his temper as soon as he realizes that you’re playing with him.” Remus ran his hand over Yusuke’s ribs, easing the pain as best he could.

Yusuke grunted, “Thanks,” drank more water then called Sirius over. “If I end it next round, how big a hit are you going to take?”

Sirius grinned up at him. “Not bad. I placed a few side bets to try to punish some of the heavy betters but I’ll still take them to the cleaners. Do what you gotta.”

“Ok. He’s going down next round, he’s enjoying this way too much.” Yusuke finished his water, accepted his mouthguard back and stood up.

The bell rang for the next round, and Yusuke began by dodging a rather wild roundhouse which gave him an opening. He took advantage of the opening to deliver a one-two punch to Housers solar plexus. That hurt. It also started Houser on the downward slope to losing his temper. Now, all he wanted was to lay gloves on his opponent and turn him into a corpse.

Yusuke managed to get in a quick jab to the face, and that was all she wrote, as the saying goes. Houser lost his temper and started swinging. He didn’t look for openings, he just used his formidable strength to try to overpower Yusuke’s guard. It didn’t work. Sirius later compared it to swatting flies with a bludger. The harder Houser tried, the more openings he left; openings that Yusuke exploited to his advantage. 

It only took 45 seconds to completely destroy any control Houser had. He spent the next 30 seconds chasing Yusuke around the ring. Then Yusuke had Houser exactly where he wanted him. The drop spin kick took Houser off at the knees, quite literally. The crack of one bone breaking was quickly followed by a crunch as the other knee gave way and folded backwards, like a bird’s. Super Heavyweight Houser would never walk without limping again, much less fight. 

The announcer jumped into the ring as the Referee finished the count. “And that’s a wrap. Bout over due to one combatant’s inability to continue.” The Ref grabbed Yusuke’s hand and held it up, just like the other two bouts. Yusuke nodded to him and then jerked his head to Remus. 

Remus entered the ring and gave the Ref a small envelope. It only contained a couple of notes, not a lot of money, but in Japanese style, it was proper for the winner to give the ref a bit of money in thanks for his honesty. 

The moaning and groaning that accompanied the end of the bout, and match, was loud and prolonged. Most of the spectators had lost money, some of them huge amounts, and they were not happy. This was when they all realized that the doors were guarded by hard faced Japanese men in expensive suits, with guns. No one was leaving until they’d either paid their debts or made real arrangements to do so. The club owners objected only to be told that they no longer owned the venue, the club; or even, quite possibly, the clothing they stood up in.

While all this was going on, Yusuke retreated to the box where Hermione, Neville and Ron were seated. Remus followed him while Sirius took care of collections. 

After pulling his uwagi off, he tossed it aside. Remus made him sit down and immediately started his examination. He took his time while Hermione wrung her hands in worry.

“Well, not too bad. Nothing broken, just a cut lip and a cracked rib. Not to mention the bruising you can’t see because of the tattoos. So.” Remus dug into his bag and withdrew a potion. “General healing potion.” another rummage brought out a tin of bruise cream. “And a cream.” He noticed someone trying to bully the much smaller Yakuza Waka into letting him out so he went to loom, calling over his shoulder, “Neville, cream.”

Neville nodded. “Ok.” he turned to Yusuke. “Drink that, don’t just look at it.”

Yusuke obeyed, his exhaustion evident in every move. He’d just gone a total of five rounds with three opponents and he felt it. “Hai, Bossu.” He gave Neville a tired smile. 

Hermione scolded, “Yusuke, you shouldn’t be this tired. Um ... should you?”

Yusuke winced as Neville began applying the bruise cream. “Yeah, I should. The reason I’m so tire is, I had to let them get their bit or the betters wouldn’t bet. So, I’m hurting. And taking on three fresh opponents, one after the other, is harder than going five rounds with one guy.” he shuddered. “Chikusho! Neville, that shit’s cold.”

Hermione blinked. “Oh, but you will be ok? Won’t you?”

Yusuke offered her a slight smile. “I will. After all, you did see the other guy, right?”

Ron chimed in just then. “If this is the sort of crap you have to do to be a ...” he waved a hand. “whatever the hell it is you actually are, I don’t want any part of it. I thought we’d get to go to a muggle dance club and see naked women ... or something.” he wilted under the combined glare of Hermione and Neville. Yusuke just curled his lip.

“I work hard to be a kumicho. I’m a boss, I’m responsible for my men, their actions and their health and welfare. It’s a position of great responsibility and great reward. If you do it right.” Yusuke shook his head. “If you want easy, this isn’t the job for you. In fact, you couldn’t do it. You’re too self-centered. I obey my father. I know you argue with yours at every turn.” he looked around, spotted the gaki he’d made responsible for Ron. “I think he should go home now. See to it.”

The gaki just took Ron by the arm, folded him to Hogwarts and left again, leaving Ron to make his way up to the dorm on his own. Needless to say, when he told the twins about his evening, they were less than pleased.

Yusuke relaxed while Neville rubbed the bruise cream into his ribs, back and chest. A soft, “Yusuke. Here.” brought his attention to Hermione. She had managed to get him a real cup of tea. 

“Mmmm, tea. Thank you.” he sipped appreciatively.

“I got a waka to go across the street and get it. It’ll make you feel better.”

“I’m sure it will. As soon as Neville is done molesting me, we’ll go back to Hogwarts. Remus and Sirius can finish up here.” Yusuke laughed at Neville’s expression.

“Yes, well. If you object to me ... molesting you so much. I’m done.” He laughed back at Yusuke. “Really. Come on.”

Remus came back just then to check on them. “You done? Better get back then. Yusuke, rest. I mean it.” Remus pointed a finger at him.

Yusuke just waved a hand and folded the three of them right into the dorm. 

Hermione looked around, squeaked in dismay and scurried out. 

Ron was already there, sound asleep and snoring like an asthmatic donkey.

Neville stripped quickly, asked Yusuke if he needed anything then went to bed.

Yusuke, denying he needed anything, also went to bed.

.

Sorry this chapter took so long (Longer than usual.) But I’ve had the flu, and my computer is acting up. (broken in the last week or so) So No excuses, just an explanation for those who are interested. 

For those who don’t know, a ferret has a musk gland, it makes them stink. My son had one and he had to bathe it every other day. (or it went into it’s cage in the garage until he did.)

I hate the use of the word alcohol used in relation to liquor. Rubbing alcohol is alcohol but I wouldn’t recommend drinking it. 

Light Heavyweight = 200 lb.  
Bantamweight = 135 lb.  
both plus or minus five pounds


	26. Chapter 26

Kind of choppy, short bits, mostly tying up threads and getting ready for the transition chapter (summer) between 6th and 7th year.

.

Yusuke was glad for his tattoos the next morning, bruise cream would take the heat and pain out of a bruise but it didn’t do anything for the broken capillaries that caused the color. His ribs were technicolor. The bruise on his jaw was a hideous black and blue, fading out to yellow and green. He used an illusion to hide the mark on his face but ignored the rest. He drank another healing potion then went down to the common room.

Neville was there with Hermione and, surprisingly, Ron. Fred and George stood right behind Ron with sour looks on their faces.

“Nani?” Yusuke glowered at them all.

George just scowled back. “So ... Harry, mind telling me why little Ronniekins gets to go with and we don’t?”

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. “Because you are smart, he’s not. You know that being what I am is not a bed of roses. Or if it is, there’s plenty of thorns. He thinks it’s all fun and candy.”

Hermione shook her head. Yusuke’s occasional fail at colloquial sayings amused her. “Fun and games, Yusuke.”

“Yes, what you said. So, now?” He glanced from Fred to George then back.

The twins just looked at each other then at Ron. “Ikkle Ronniekins, we need to talk.” And with that they dragged their little brother off to rip him a new one. Then they owled their Mum.

.

Breakfast was nearly over when the owl arrived. The poor bird dropped the bright red envelope like it was hot, which it might actually be, as it was smoking.

Instead of exploding, it just lay next to Ron’s plate, quivering.

Fred nodded to it, saying, “Ron, you might as well open it. You know it’s only worse when you don’t.” The owl gave Ron a dirty look then fluttered away.

Ron picked it up and opened it with shaking hands. 

Mrs. Molly Weasley had a real set of lungs on her. She started out by giving Ron a general bollocking then went into details. She ended up by telling him that he was grounded to his dorm, classrooms and dining hall until the end of the month. 

She ended by saying sweetly, “And Fred, George, I expect you to see that he does what I said. Be good. Work hard.”

Then the letter tore itself into confetti that sprinkled all over Ron’s head, shoulders and plate. He just banged his head on the table a couple of times and sighed.

Yusuke snickered rather meanly. “Ok, now you know why I am the way I am. Get over it.” he plucked a cigarette from thin air and walked off, smoking. 

Neville and Hermione followed him off to class. They’d all finally gotten tired of dragging book bags around and just let Yusuke stick them in his mallet space. 

Potions class had turned into an exercise in patience. Snape didn’t cut them any slack, but he didn’t loom over them, snarking, either. He seemed to watch Yusuke carefully, as if to judge his mood. Neville and Hermione he mostly ignored. The rest of the class caught hell. Yusuke was of the opinion that, if they didn’t have enough spine to call Snape on his shit, they deserved it. He did his work and reading, stayed ready for class and let the snark fall where it might.

.

Yusuke continued to disappear for the rest of the month and the Ministry continued to receive marked arms. The rewards were paid promptly by Percy, much to the Minister’s disgust. But he didn’t have a choice, both the Gringott’s goblin bankers and the Wizengamot insisted. It seemed that Fudge had signed a magical contract that was properly registered with the ICW. This made it imperative that bounties be paid promptly. Or else, and Fudge did not want to find out what the or else was.

Sirius and Remus kept the British yakuza in line and managed most of Yusuke’s businesses for him. They also dragged him out for days off, leaving Hermione and Neville to fend for themselves. If fending for themselves included being dragged to Ken No Ie for self defense lessons and delicious dinners.

Dumbledore ignored the whole thing with considerable effort. He was still trying to figure out how to get himself reinstated in Harry’s good graces. He insisted on calling Yusuke Harry and tried his best to meddle in business that didn’t concern him. Even Headmistress McGonagall wasn’t able to get him to listen. 

He also needed to address the distressing disappearance of several high ranking citizens. He wasn’t quite sure what Harry had to do with it but his sources in the Ministry said he was somehow involved. Secrecy being what it was, things got around; but it was like the old game Chinese Whispers, where the ‘source’ whispered something to the next person in line and so on until everyone had been included, then the last person repeated what they’d heard. The difference between the beginning sentence and the last one was always astonishing. But he could only work with what he had. 

It also distressed him that Severus seemed to be, not exactly afraid, but very wary, of Harry. He kept a close eye on Severus, in case he decided to take his hatred of James out on Harry. Severus seemed to spend most of his class time ignoring three of his students, which made no sense to Dumbledore. Thus, he tried to keep an eye out. It was decidedly difficult as the ICW seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of his time and the Wizengamot also took up more time than he liked. The Order of the Phoenix was also a drain on his time. He wondered how he’d kept up before Minerva had taken over day to day running of Hogwarts. 

.

The only other person who was concerned about what was going on was Voldemort himself. He was aware that something was going on as his outer circle was nearly non-existent, his middle circle was beginning to disappear and his inner circle -- they were beginning to worry. Greyback, Bella, and two or three others were just gone. Malfoy had taken his wife and gone to the continent, taking his financial support with him. Snape didn’t answer his summons either, the ward around Hogwarts made it quite possible that he either couldn’t get away or couldn’t feel the summons. 

This left a void in the inner circle that needed to be filled, so the Dark Lord began a search for suitable applicants. He was most displeased to find that there were none. He made his displeasure well known then decided to hole up until he could figure out what was going on. Most of his supporters were pleased with this, it took pressure off them. They were very glad to provide him with a small but elegant residence on an unplottable island in the North Sea; well away from anything, or anyone. He really didn’t seem to notice as he fell into a sulk that was to last for months.

.

Draco Malfoy stared at the letter in his hand. He’d been sending owls to his parents for nearly five weeks now. The return letter left him stunned, he’d basically been shunned. He had access to his personal vault, which his father had assured him would receive a deposit each quarter. He was expected to live within that sum of money, no negotiation. He was also told that he would not be returning to Malfoy Manor, as it was closed up until further notice. He was to live in a cottage on the grounds instead. He was furious, never mind that the so called cottage was the Dower House and had a master suit, 8 other bedrooms, a ball room, dining room, library, three sitting rooms of various levels of formality, a music room, kitchen and a ‘down stairs’ that he would never enter. It wasn’t the Manor proper, that was what stuck in his craw. And he was sure that Potter had something to do with it.

He flopped back on his messy, unmade bed, white blond hair disheveled. He started planning his revenge, it would be glorious. All the other Slytherins started avoiding him.

.

Hermione flopped down at her desk. “I do hope the professors have all given me the proper study guides.” She had finally given up on the hope that any of the professors actually knew what they were doing in any and all circumstances. She was still of the opinion that they knew how to teach, except for Snape. Him, she’d given up on. 

Yusuke shrugged, “Doesn’t really matter. All the tests are proctored by the Department of Education, right?”

Neville nodded. “That’s right. And we have the official study guides from them ... finally. Dumbledore didn’t want them handed out until the two weeks before the tests. He said something about undue stress. Idiot.”

Yusuke nodded. “Shiriusu-oji says that he’s been that way for the last thirty years. Something is definitely wrong with him.” he waved a cigaret in a negligent gesture.

Hermione bit her lip. “What should we do?”

Neville gave her an ‘are you kidding?’ sort of look. “Nothing. It’s not our place to fix the woes of the world. All we can do is do our best to pass our exams. That means ... study like mad, since most of our professors haven’t given us proper grounding in class.”

Hermione sighed. “It’s just so unfair. But ...” she brightened. “I’ve made up a study plan that makes sure that we pass everything. It’s just going to be a lot of hard work to make up the deficit.”

Yusuke snorted. “And we’re afraid of some hard work? I don’t think so. Remusu-aniki will help us. We can fold to Ken No Ie and study there, if we have to. But ... with you making up study guides and so on, we’ll do well. I have no doubt.”

Yusuke sent a letter to Sirius via post box. They were not surprised when he sent a reply that he would be happy to host them for study group; or come to the juku, whichever was more convenient. The messenger strutted out of the hall, a smirk on his face. He did, however, bow most respectfully to Headmistress McGonagall. She nodded back politely.

Dumbledore hadn’t been seen in the school, except for a few quick, annoying visits, since shortly after Christmas Holidays ended. He would have refused them permission to go, Headmistress McGonagall didn’t see any reason to. After all, they were only going down to the Shrieking Shack. 

.

Yusuke was amused that Hermione was so upset about the nearly absolute lack of worry about them leaving the grounds alone. When she’d confronted McGonagall, the Headmistress had mearly said, “I don’t see a problem. The shack is only a few steps off the grounds, you’ll be met by both Mr Black and Mr Lupin and Mr Miyamoto and Mr Longbottom will be with you. What could possibly happen?”

Hermione had given her a horrified look and announced, “After that ... who knows? You just jinxed us for sure.”

The Headmistress had just shrugged, announced that she was sure they’d be fine and offered her some tea. She’d refused and gone to the juku to sulk.

Her rant didn’t last nearly as long as Neville thought it would. Yusuke simply told her, “You’re making too much of it. This bunch hasn’t got the common sense of a house fly. We’ll take care of ourselves. If you’re really worried, I’ll have a group of waka meet us.”

Hermione stopped talking, mouth half open, she blinked, shut her mouth then said, “Oh, well. Ok then.”

Neville nearly hurt himself by falling off his chair from laughing so hard.

Yusuke commented on the fact that they were both mental and stuck his nose in reports. Neville got back in his chair and did the same.

Hermione, on the other hand, began to revise their schedules. She had allowed class time that they didn’t need so she wanted to adjust their time allotments to fill the unused hours. She did wonder, vaguely, what Headmistress McGonagall was thinking.

Meanwhile, Headmistress McGonagall was arguing with Headmaster Dumbledore over exactly what he was thinking. There was no professor for History, Divination or Muggle Studies. Professor Trelawney had snapped to, as the saying goes, and realized that she felt better than she had in years. This caused her to declare that Hogwarts fogged her inner eye, which made her ill. She had packed her things during Christmas Holidays and headed for parts unknown. She also sent a letter to the Editor of the Daily Prophet announcing that she would be available for consultation starting in the summer.

The Muggle Studies Professor had decided to visit the muggle world and returned, shell shocked and baffled. Her resignation had landed on Headmistress McGonagall’s desk just before classes reconvened. Yusuke denied having anything to do with it. Sirius gave anyone who asked him a blank look while Remus spent his time laughing up his sleeve. 

Dumbledore, in his usual obtuse way, attempted to turn blame away from himself. “But, Minerva, how do you expect me to foresee something like this? I don’t have the eye, you know.” He managed a grandfatherly twinkle.

This only served to irritate the Headmistress even more. “Albus, do not twinkle at me. I’m not some feather headed twit. We have a serious problem and we need to do something about it.”

Dumbledore’s reply finished her still remaining ties to him. “Now, Minerva, I’m sure you’ll manage. After all, you always do. Just let the sixth and seventh years do self-study. The lower years can catch up later. Now ... I must be off. I have an appointment with ... well, ...” he frowned. “I’m not sure just who. But, pip pop, I’m off.” and, with that, he apparated away, totally scrambling Hogwarts wards, again.

Headmistress McGonagall glowered at the spot Dumbledore had just vacated and narrowed her eyes. “Always manage, my foot. Well, Muggle Studies was always a bit of a disappointment. That can wait until next year to fix. History is going well, having an upper year lead the younger ones is going well. Self study for sixth and seventh years is just going to have to do it. As to Divination, ...” she smiled slightly. “not even bothering. Fuzzy discipline, at best.” She sighed, made a decision and called an elf to move all Dumbledore’s trinkets into his personal quarters.

When she settled into the Head’s desk, she felt something. She wasn’t exactly sure what but she had a feeling it was the first connection to Hogwarts main wards. Dumbledore had lost the cachet of the school. Dumbledore was much too busy schmoozing to notice.

.

It was nearing the end of the month when Yusuke remarked that they needed to revise for History of Magic. Hermione eyed her schedule and agreed, saying, “We’ve put that off long enough. I’ve been handling the first year Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff class. And Hepsiba Higgs has had Gryffindor-Slytherin. I do hate to say it. But, with Binns gone, we’re all really learning things, finally.”

Yusuke smiled genially. “Then you’re not mad at me for sending Binns on.” It was a statement, not a question.

Neville snorted, “I don’t care if she’s mad. I’m thankful. Goblin wars are all well and good. But there’s more to history than that. Gran told me that, those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”

Hermione opened her mouth to tell both young men that the saying was paraphrased from George Santayana’s "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Then she shut it because that really didn’t make much difference to the discussion. She managed, “Exactly.” instead.

Neville changed the subject. “I wonder what Headmistress McGonagall is going to do about Muggle Studies. The last professor ... well, I don’t think a pureblood with no actual experience in the muggle world is quite what we need.”

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose as he laughed. “No, me neither. I bet Ofukuro-sensei just lets it go for the rest of this year.” he smirked and added, “And, I’ll bet you big money that she never fills Divination.”

Hermione nodded. “I’ll believe that. Divination is a fuzzy discipline, at best.”

Yusuke shook his head. “It’s not a discipline at all. It’s a gift. If you don’t have what Trelawney calls the eye, divination is impossible. I never understood teaching more than the basics. First years should get one term, just so they know how it works. Other than that, it’s a waste of time.”

Hermione nodded. “I believe you’re right. So ... what now?”

Yusuke shrugged. “We study for the end of term tests we need to take, Neville and I continue to train. You ... do whatever it is you need to do. If you want to continue your training, I’ll make arrangements through Remus for you to have a teacher over the summer. I’m not ... qualified to teach you.” Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Yusuke held up one hand. “No, I’m not. I’m too rough for you. I’ll wind up hurting you. Remus will get you a teacher who can teach to your level. Stop arguing, it’s annoying.”

Hermione sighed. She was a bit afraid of Yusuke. She didn’t work with him, she worked with a Waka or a Gaki. “Ok, but ... Neville?”

Neville knew what she was asking. “I’m doing well. Yusuke knows how to teach me. He’s just not good with ... females. Upbringing. I’d have just as much trouble teaching you as he does. Just live with it.” His smile took the sting out of his words.

Hermione subsided, muttering, “So now, all of a sudden, you’re gentlemen? Really!” She huffed once then went back to her work.

Neither Neville nor Hermione noticed when the door opened a crack, Yusuke did. He waited to see what would happen next. 

What happened next made him furious. He was hit with a spell that he knew very well. The Honesty Hex. And he now knew who was doing it. That Unspeakable that Sirius had told him he was sure was the one. The man had been in an out of Hogwarts all year, supposedly to fix the stairs. He messed about a bit then went away again. And the hex was back. Yusuke was tired of taking it off.

“So. I see you. Baka!” Yusuke cast a standard trap spell, the door fell open and the Unspeakable, clad in his gray robes, fell in. The next spell was a simple knock out spell that Yusuke liked because it didn’t cause any damage and lasted several minutes. 

Hermione jumped and squeaked. Neville just gazed at him for a moment then looked at Yusuke. “Who the hell is that?”

“Don’t know. But he’s the one who’s been hexing me. Sirius suspected it after asking questions around the Ministry, but proving it was impossible. Now ... he’s caught ... um ... aka kiki?” he looked at Hermione.

“Red handed. Reference to the times when stabbing someone was the norm.” Hermione poked the still body with a toe. “Someone going to unhood this ... person?”

Neville nodded to Yusuke, who stood and moved to get an unobstructed view. Neville rolled the man over then pulled back his hood. “Don’t know him. Now what?”

Yusuke thought for a second. “Keep an eye on him while I get Shiriusu-oji. My first impulse is to just make hitogoroshi on him. Shinda hito.” he folded away, leaving Neville to shake his head while Hermione reached for her hand made yakuza/english dictionary. She couldn’t remember what Shinda Hito meant. She mouthed, ‘dead man?’ then sighed. 

Yusuke returned almost at once, Sirius in tow. He pointed to the still unconscious man and said, “That the one?”

Sirius eyed him then nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. Alfonse Mathison. Should call him Toady. Arselicker.” He poked Mathison with a toe. “So, what do you want to do with him?”

Yusuke thought about that for a moment. “Well. Is there some way to keep him from hexing me?”

Sirius scowled. “Not that I know of. As an Unspeakable, he’s got pretty much Carte Blanche. I could complain but ... doubt it would do much good.” He poked Mathison again. “And, he’s one of Dumbledore’s brown nosers.”

Hermione huffed. “I never. That’s ... That’s.” She subsided with another irritated huff.

Neville nodded. “Exactly. Dumbledore has a network of toady’s and minions that’s invaded every level of the Ministry and Wizangamot. Gran’s livid. Don’t think complaining will do much good. Should just ... get rid of him ... somehow.”

“Shiriusu-oji?” Yusuke was open to anything. Sirius knew the English WizardingWorld better than he did. 

“Well, we could just off him, perform Priori Incantatum on his wand in front of an auror and claim self-defense. Or he could just disappear.” he gave Yusuke a smile that would have Snape reaching for his wand. “I’m sure Anata no chichioya ... er ... your father will know exactly what to do with him.”

Yusuke nodded. “Ok. That’s good. And a formal complaint to the Ministry, Fudge-san might like to know what his subordinates are up to.” he glowered at the man, plucked a cigarette from the air and smoked furiously for a moment. “If it was up to me, I’d demand full yubitsumi; in a box, nicely wrapped. But then, I’m a Hiretsukan.”

Hermione winced at the rude word then interjected. “I don’t think it’s very nice to call yourself illegitimate.”

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose. “Not that kind. More, ...” he looked at Sirius.

Sirius shrugged. “Mean bastard is a better translation.” he chuckled softly. “Granger, just give it up. Don’t talk Japanese like Yusuke. He talks like a Yak.” he poked Yusuke in the ribs. “Gutter trash.”

“Not.” Yusuke offered Sirius a cigaret, which he took. “Just an evil little shit. Ya?”

Neville brought their attention back to the subject at hand. “Ok. We agree ... you’re both ass holes. Now ... what the hell are we going to do with that guy. And you two better make it quick, he’s starting to twitch.”

Sirius just waved at him, casting another knock out spell. He shrugged then asked, “Ok, how do we get him where he’s going?”

Yusuke sat down at his desk, got out his writing box and poured some liquid ink into a tiny bowl. “I’ll just write Chichi-ue a note, turn the note into a port key and there we are.” He wrote quickly then cast a spell to dry the ink. 

Hermione, now well aware that Hogwarts, a history was wrong about as often as it was right, asked, “But I thought you couldn’t ... I mean .... well.”

Yusuke smiled at her. “If you use English magic, it’s not possible, but I don’t, so it is. Yes?”

“Oh, ok.” Hermione watched as Yusuke finished his preparations. 

A simple ‘Iku!’ and the man was gone.

Sirius nodded. “Ok, need me?”

“No, go back to your whoring.” Yusuke laughed at Sirius’ face.

His indignant, ‘I wasn’t.’ made everyone laugh.

Yusuke smirked, “And why not?”

Sirius mock snarled. “Because I’m busy taking care of your business, you little snot.” With that, he bowed in everyone’s general direction and folded away.

Hermione shook her head, mumbled, “Men, can’t live with them, can’t hex them.” and went back to her revising.

The three of them spent the rest of the evening working on homework and revising for the upcoming end of term tests.

.

Remus settled back on a pile of cushions. “Ok, what was the panic.”

Sirius accepted a cup of sake from a gaki, nodded his thanks and sipped. He cleared his throat. “Yusuke sent Musashi-dono a small gift. Caught that hexer red handed. It was that Unspeakable that I was eyeballing.”

Remus snarled, his wolf coming to the fore. “And?”

“Do we really want to know what Miyamoto Musashi is going to do to him?” Sirius returned to his sake.

“Um ... no. Not really.” Remus accepted his own cup and buried his nose in it.

The Unspeakables never knew what happened to their man, and they were lucky. Miyamoto-sama was most displeased with Alfonse Mathison and he let him know it.

.

It was almost the end of term, finals were coming up very soon. And Ron Weasley was a very worried man.

One, the twins were pranking him relentlessly.

Two, he’d lost his study buddy, something that hadn’t worried him at first. Now he was wallowing in undone homework and incomplete essays and hadn’t the first notion of what to do about it

Three, he was now more frightened of Harry Potter than he was of Severus Snape.   
He decided to take the bull by the horns and ask for help so he poked his head into the room they called a juku and hissed at her.

Unfortunately for him, his hiss sounded like something very rude in Parseltongue.

Yusuke raised his head, looking like a cobra about to strike. “Excuse me?”

“Um ... can I talk to Granger for a sec?” Ron knew he’d done something wrong, he just wasn’t sure what.

Hermione sighed, put her book aside and snarled, “What do you want, Weasley? Please don’t tell me you want help with last second revising.” Ron looked shamefaced. “Well, really!”

Neville waved Yusuke off with a slight smile. This was going to be really interesting.

Hermione glowered at Ron for a moment then asked in a dangerously quiet tone, “Seriously, I’d like to know why you suddenly need the help of a frizzy haired, buck toothed, loud mouthed muggleborn know it all swot. So, please, won’t you tell me?”

Yusuke put a hand over his eyes then peeked out between his fingers. He dropped his hand and mouthed at Neville, “He is so dead.” Neville just nodded and turned back to the entertainment.

Ron, not one to recognize a bear trap until he stepped into it, just demanded, “Does that mean you’re going to help me? Or not?” His expression of mixed irritation and demand didn’t help things any.

Neville simply got up and moved out of hex range.

This wasn’t necessary as first George grabbed him and pulled, then Fred got between Ron and Hermione and pushed. They managed to get him out of the doorway, babbling all the way. 

“Sorry, sorry ...”

“please don’t kill him ...”

“he’s the only little brother we’ve got.”

“Granted ...”

“he’s an idiot ...”

“but still ...”

“brother, don’t ya know?”

Hermione wanted to huff in irritation but she couldn’t, the hopeful looks on Fred and George’s faces just made her laugh instead. “Very well, I won’t hex his bits off. But, please keep him away from me. Yusuke might not feel like putting up with him. And help the idiot revise.” She gave Fred a look, which he blithely ignored.

Yusuke barked, “Oi! Do what the Okugata says.” he eyed all three brothers. “Or I might get irritated. Oh, and here.” he tossed George a money bag. “Keep up the pressure on Slytherin. Yes?” 

Ron began babbling apologies, Fred and George just thanked Yusuke with proper gravity and all three ginger heads disappeared as the twins dragged Ron away to force him to begin catching up.

Hermione blinked. “Slytherin?” she turned to look at Yusuke. “What?”

Yusuke smirked. “You don’t think all the pranks were free, do you?”

Hermione gaped at Yusuke for a moment then the light dawned. The pranks against Slytherin had most of them keeping their heads down. The worst bullies still had bright yellow B’s on both cheeks. 

The sad part was, some of the worst bullies weren’t in Slytherin. And they were getting pranked too.

Hermione started to snicker, then chuckle, then she just fell out of her chair and sat on the floor, holding her stomach and laughing until tears trickled down her cheeks.

Yusuke eyed this with every evidence of disgust. “Women. Silly creatures.”

Neville, being smart, didn’t agree or disagree, he changed the subject. “It’s getting late and we need to pack up. Come on.”

Hermione pulled herself together and packed her work away. 

They were back in the dorm in plenty of time for curfew. 

.

Dumbledore wandered the halls of the Ministry, wondering how he could get Harry back under control; completely ignoring the fact that he’d never been under control in the first place. He spent a great deal of his time asking questions that he didn’t get answers to. It seemed that Minister Fudge had placed a Seal of Silence on most of the information pertaining to Harry Potter/Yusuke Miyamoto and some sort of deal that had been made between Miyamoto Musashi and the Minister/Ministry of Magic. 

This was very irritating, as he needed to know what was going on. It was also very annoying that the ICW was backing Fudge on the seal. 

He went to see if he could find his contact amongst the Unspeakables. 

“Unspeakable, I would like to speak to Unspeakable Touchstone.” Dumbledore twinkled at the person, hoping to be given their code name. 

The Unspeakable didn’t give him a name, in fact, he barely acknowledged him at all. He just pointed to a desk on the other side of the room. “That’s his public desk. You can wait there. I’ll send a notification that you want to speak to him.”

Dumbledore blinked then went to sit in the guest chair to wait for his contact to show.

An hour later he was still waiting so he got up and approached a different Unspeakable.

“Excuse me, but could you tell me when Unspeakable Touchstone will be back at his desk?”

The Unspeakable looked up. “No. I have no connection to him or his research. Did The Desk send a memo?” his tone of voice implied that ‘The Desk’ meant more than a piece of furniture. His expression implied that someone in lime green robes with dancing orange somethings on them shouldn’t even be talking to him. 

“I believe that he did.” Dumbledore was glad that Unspeakables had the option to lower their hoods in the office. He truly hated talking to the obscured features of a hooded Unspeakable.

“Well, you’ll just have to wait. I will ask if the memo was received, if you’d like.” This offer was obviously grudgingly given but Dumbledore nodded amiably and returned to his seat.

A few minutes later an upper level Unspeakable, fully hooded, approached Dumbledore. “You were asking for Unspeakable Touchstone?” Dumbledore twinkled and nodded. “He was last seen two days ago. He signed out to Hogwarts to check on your stair problem. He didn’t return. He hasn’t signed back in, nor has he notified us that he went elsewhere. We’re investigating his disappearance.” 

Dumbledore sighed. “Oh. I see. I presume that you are investigating?” The hooded head nodded once. “Please feel free to come to Hogwarts, if you think that would help. However, I would ask that you not ... interfere with students, or the educational process.” 

A bland, “We will do as we see fit.” was all he got in reply. 

He was dissatisfied but could see that he wasn’t going to get any farther so he went away to brood over tea in his quarters.

After brooding for an hour or so, he realized that it was tea time. He wondered if he had time to speak to Harry before supper. His best bet was to ask an elf so he summoned one.

The elf scowled then announced, “Master Yusuke-sama sir is not taking tea. He is waiting until seven and being eating in his study hall. Nippy can be seeing if Master Yusuke-sama sir is wanting teas. He is saying that four of the clock is not eating time.” the elf popped out. He returned a few seconds later to say, “Master Yusuke-sama sir is saying that he is being up in a few moments. Nippy is bringing a tray.” and the elf was gone again.

.

Yusuke wiped the sweat off his neck while asking, “Neville, how late can I be? I don’t want to be totally rude but I do want ... sono baka to know that I’m not his friend. Yes?”

Neville nodded. “Ok. He’s going to expect you for tea, which is usually at either four or five. Four in his case. So ... I wouldn’t be more than ten minutes late, and don’t offer an excuse. Any later and it’s over kill. Excuses ... well, you’re not his friend so you don’t owe him any. I’d dress ... Japanese but not formal. Nice yukata, mid-scale fabric. But don’t wear that vest thing, it’s too formal for the impression you want. Not that he’ll understand, but still ....”

Yusuke looked blank for a moment then said, “You mean a katiginu?”

Neville thought for a moment. “Yeah, that.”

Yusuke laughed. “If I don’t wear that, I’m more or less implying that ... well, you only leave that off if you’re at home, or out with close friends. I think not. But I will wear my swords.”

“All three of them?”

“No, only ... I think a kodachi and a tanto.” at Neville’s puzzled expression he explained, “Only the short sword and a knife. A kodachi is just a bit shorter than a wakizashe, they’re both considered shoto. Short swords. So. I better get going.”

It took him approximately twenty minutes to get ready. He decided to wear the bronze-green yukata with a black obi and the matching katiginu with its three gold thread mon. He picked up his weapons and tucked them into his obi. 

His trip through Hogwarts attracted attention, as it always did, but the look on his face kept everyone away.

When he reached the guardian gargoyle he glowered at it for a moment then snarled, “I have no intention of guessing sweeties. Open.” he tucked his right hand into his left sleeve, ready to pull out an ofuda and deal with the gargoyle; unsurprisingly, it quickly moved aside.

Dumbledore looked up, his alarm hadn’t gone off. “Ah, Harry, my boy. Welcome, welcome. Sit down.” he eyed Harry’s clothing. “Um ... perhaps you might have wanted to wear something a bit more ...” he trailed off.

“More English? Loud and obnoxious? Muggle?” Yusuke settled in the offered chair, after a wave of his wand changed it into something more to his liking. “Please, do not offer me advice on clothing until you manage something a bit less ... blinding.” Yusuke was well aware that Dumbledore created an uncomfortable environment to put people off balance. He, on the other hand, had been interrogated by men who didn’t care about his youth or innocence, so he wasn’t about to fall in to any of Dumbledore’s traps. He’d made the too soft, too low squashy chair into a seat that was of proper height and softness for his personal comfort. It also accommodated his swords.

Dumbledore pretended sadness, “You don’t like my robes?”

Yusuke wasn’t about to fall for that one either. “No. They’re too bright for someone your age and the fabric is not appropriate to the pattern.” Yusuke produced a cigarette and, without asking, proceeded to smoke.

Dumbledore offered tea and biscuits. Yusuke accepted. 

He didn’t try to hide his quick wave of a hand. The tea emitted a strange, yellowish glow.

“Ojiisan Agohigi! I’m stunned. Seriously?!” Yusuke put the tea aside without further comment.

Dumbledore chose to ignore the whole thing, drugging someone’s tea was beyond rude, the biscuits should do the trick. 

Unfortunately, Yusuke was too savvy for that to work either, after one tiny nibble, he just dropped the treat on the floor then banished it with a wave of his hand. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat. “Now, Harry, I’ve heard some very distressing news. I ...”

He didn’t get any farther. Yusuke held up his hand. “I don’t care what sort of gossip you’ve heard. If you have facts, I’ll listen; otherwise, not interested. And stop calling me Harry.”

Dumbledore twinkled at Yusuke. “But, my dear boy, it’s your name.”

Yusuke shifted carefully, if he lost his temper now, it would be a disaster. Dumbledore would have succeeded in gaining the upper hand, and his father would be seriously disappointed. “No, actually, it’s not. Miyamoto Musashi adopted me. This allowed him to change my name, legally, both here and in Japan. If you really want to cause all sorts of trouble, take it up with the ICW. Although, I really wouldn’t advise it.”

Dumbledore decided to drop that for now and move on to other business. “Well, be that as it may. I was very saddened to find that Mr Black had not gotten a trial. I should have checked more carefully, but times being what they were, I didn’t.”

Yusuke sneered at that. “Yes, you do seem to have the habit of falling down on the job. Worries me a bit.”

“You are much too young to understand the problems of someone in my position. However, I think I have managed to guarantee that you will, eventually, receive your inheritance.” He trailed off to see how this was effecting his young charge, fixing a benevolent, grandfatherly expression on his face.

“Oh, I see.” Yusuke waved a hand. “Don’t worry about my inheritance, Shiriusu-oji has taken care of that.” He snapped his fingers. “As my godfather, Shiriusu-oji has taken control of everything. He can manage things, even though we can’t spend any of the profit or interest.” An elf popped in, Yusuke demanded tea, and the elf returned with a small pot and a single cup. Yusuke poured himself some tea and returned to the conversation, blatantly changing the subject. “You see. You overload yourself and lose control of the details. That is the only reason I can find for leaving me with abusive people for the first years of my life.” 

Dumbledore paled at that remark. He’d known leaving Harry with ‘those people’ might not be wise, but he’d had no place else to send him. Then, he’d assumed that family took care of family, another failing. Now he was, as they put it, in the weeds and wasn’t sure how to get out again. “There’s only so much of me to go around. I admit that it was a mistake but what was I to do?”

Yusuke sipped his tea for a moment then said, “Delegate. You said that I’m too young to understand, but I’m not. I learned at my father’s knee, starting four days after I was adopted. I may only be seventeen but I learned, early and well, that in order to do a job like I do; like you do, you have to delegate. Delegation is a skill that you have obviously never learned. I’m not sure you even know the meaning of the word, get a dictionary and look it up, then try a thesaurus to learn other words for it. Then try it. The only caveat is that you must know who to delegate to, and that’s another skill that I learned that you obviously haven’t.” Yusuke realized that he was on the verge of ranting and snapped his mouth shut before he said something he’d regret.

Dumbledore wondered again how he’d lost control of the conversation. He sighed heavily. “Well, I can see that we are not going to have a meeting of the minds. Just remember, you will not get control of your fortune until Voldemort is defeated. You’ll return here next year, whether you like it or not.” he took another deep breath, realizing that Harry had managed something that even Fudge hadn’t. He’d lost his temper.

“Ano ... I see. Well. Shirusu-oji. Sirius Black, as you call him, has taken control of all my fortune here in England, as is his right. However, I will return here next year, not because you command it, but because I have a contract. Voldemort killed my biological parents, caused untold destruction and is, in general, a pain. He must die. So I will deal with him, as my contract demands.” he pinned Dumbledore with a cold look. “But in my own time and my own way. Stay out of it.” And with that he just got up and stalked to the door.

Dumbledore called after him but was ignored. Yusuke didn’t bother to slam the door, he closed it very softly. Dumbledore was sure there was some sort of significance to that, as well as the way the boy had dressed and spoken to him. He just wasn’t sure what it was, or if it was important. It was, after all, not the English way. He returned to his tea, dissatisfied with his results. He never realized that Yusuke’s report to his father would result in more complaints to both the Ministry and the ICW, complaints that had a negative effect on his reputation.

.

The day finally came when they were free. Hermione was delirious with worry, she was sure she’d missed several questions on their tests. Not several on one test, several spread out over all tests. 

Neville was calm, he’d done his best and that was all he could do.

Ron was resigned, he hadn’t studied like he should despite the twins attempts. He knew he’d failed at least two subjects, or nearly so. His Mum was going to murder him and bury his body in the orchard. 

Yusuke was just glad to be done for the year. He wanted to go home, see his father and brothers and check on his various businesses. 

Draco Malfoy was supremely frustrated. He’d tried several times to get to Potter but his dratted godfather had managed to stymy him every time. He’d even given him a detention once. Now he had to go live in that poky Dower House until school started again. And the summer work was horrendous, Snape had assigned him extra.

Everyone was very glad to finish breakfast and head to the train. Except Yusuke. He went down to Ken No Ie at a leisurely saunter.

When he got there he learned that Sirius had sold his house in the south as it was more an encumbrance than anything. He didn’t care, he wasn’t that attached to it, Ken No Ie was more convenient. 

“Tadaima! Shiriusu-oji, Anata wa doko ni iru.” Yusuke toed his boots off and left them for the hovering gaki to deal with. 

Sirius stuck his head out of the dining room, calling, “Here. Hungry?”

Yusuke shrugged, “I could eat. Or not. But I do want tea.”

Sirius withdrew into the room, leaving Yusuke to follow. “Here then. Tea. And ... I’m not sure what these are. Waka said scones, but ... anyway, they’re good.” He pushed a tea pot and plate in Yusuke’s general direction.

“Thanks. Business?” Yusuke poured tea and put one of the rather misshapen lumps on a sandwich plate. 

“Not much. Just some questions about reorganizing the fight club and one of the business in the Neighborhood watch has a problem.” Sirius pushed reports at Yusuke.

“Verbal please. I can’t eat and read at the same time.” He grinned like the kid he was. “I always get crumbs on them.”

Sirius barked out a laugh, refreshed his tea and began to read. 

After he was done with the report and recommendations for the club Yusuke issued orders that the fighters were to be given 70 percent of the offered purse, the other 30 percent was to be banked in a general fund for medical care. He also ordered that there had to be a corner man for each fighter and that the club had to have a locker room and an exam room. A medic was to be on call, in the locker room, during every fight. No exceptions. And the backers were to be firmly discouraged from taking more than half of any purse the fighter earned. Any betting had to go through the club; of which the club would take 20 percent. If anyone was caught placing side bets, they were to be beaten and the whole bet confiscated. Of any confiscated bet; half went to the club, the other half was to be divided between the fighters. 

After due consideration, Sirius wrote down all the orders. He also suggested that the club provide only paid drinks, keep a clean, well stocked kitchen and discourage anyone bringing in food. If they brought in their own liquor there would be a 50 pound bottle fee. And all the wait staff was to be paid, tips were extra; instead of being their whole pay. Yusuke agreed with all the additions and that file was closed.

They moved on to the business. It seemed that Madam Malkin had lost most of her middle class business. This was slowly breaking her.

Remus ambled in just then and over heard that. “I know what her problem is.” Yusuke just looked at him and waited. “She refused me service ...” He shrugged. “so I marked her door. The Waka are subtly redirecting her customers to a different store. One whose service was more than adequate. Should I give instructions to leave off?”

Yusuke shook his head. “If she wouldn’t serve you, serves her right. Nothing wrong with your money. I’ll tell everyone that they’re to go to that shop and ask for Mr Needleman, and you should order a second set of robes. Some light color, suitable for a summer in Japan.”

Remus shook his head. “The second I hit Nihon I’m wearing yukata. Cooler.” 

Yusuke raised an eyebrow but made no comment. Far be it from him to suggest that Remus wear traditional English robes if he didn’t want to. 

After finishing up the last of business, Yusuke demanded to know whether Hermione had made it safely into the loving arms of her family. 

Remus checked his watch. “Train’s not even half way there yet. You forget that the Hogwarts Express is steam?”

“I did.” Yusuke nodded. “We’ll fold over about the time the train pulls in and check on her. And Neville.”

.

It turned out to be rather interesting to them all.

Yusuke escorted Hermione to her parents, turning her over to her father with an appropriate bow. He also bowed to her mother. He admonished Hermione, “Now, you promised not to start your homework until after you got your marks. Yes?”

Hermione nodded. “I did. I remember. I even remember the reason why. Now. You be safe. Ok?”

“Ok. See you in September.” He bowed again and walked away.

His path, intentionally, led him in the direction of Neville and Lady Longbottom. He bowed elegantly to the lady, saying, “Madam.” he nodded to Neville. “Neville-kun.”

“Yusuke-san.” Neville glanced around. “Where’s your entourage?”

Sirius stepped up to Yusuke’s side. “Around.” he also nodded to Lady Longbottom. “Ma’am.”

“Black.” Augusta gave him a small, tight smile. “You’ve been up to some interesting things.”

Sirius just shrugged. “I have. Seems my upbringing is actually coming in handy.”

Augusta scowled at him for a moment then announced, “It’s not your upbringing, but what you do with it, that counts.” she nodded firmly then turned to Neville. “Say good-bye to your friends. I don’t want to linger too long.”

Neville smiled at Yusuke, nodded to Sirius and said, “Yes, Gran. Yusuke, I’ll be sending you an invitation to my birthday party. Please try to come.”

“I will. And you have to come to mine.” Yusuke smiled. This was going to be fun. Neville’s birthday was the day before his, his English one. He also celebrated the day his Father had found him. But who was he to turn down an excuse to party.

After saying good-by to the Longbottoms, Yusuke looked around. He didn’t see anything requiring his attention so he signaled his gumi to leave.

What he didn’t notice was Draco Malfoy. 

Draco was in a quandary, he’d never had to get himself home from the train station before. His father or mother had always met him, usually it was both of them. Now, neither one was there and he had no idea how to get himself and his luggage to the Dower House on his own.

He was completely mortified when Molly Weasley approached him, saying, “Well, Draco, it seems that you’re in a bit of a pickle. Let me help.” She produced her wand from her apron pocket and asked, “Now, where were you wanting to go?”

Draco bit his lip. “The Dower House, Malfoy Estate, Wiltshire ... please.” he nearly choked on the last word.

Molly frowned for a moment. “You have elves to take care of you?”

“I’m ... not sure.” He hated to admit that, but there was no sense in lying about it. 

“Well! I see. If you need anything, floo me. Arthur might not like your father, but that’s no reason for you to be cast adrift.” She tapped his trunk, gave the direction and created a port key. “There. Sit on your trunk then say, ‘Home’ and you should arrive in front of the house. If not in front, then, at least on the grounds. Good-by.” She bustled away, calling Ron and the twins to heel.

Draco did as he was told and arrived on the drive in front of the Dower House, elves scurried out to bring in his things. He managed not to throw a wobbly by the skin of his teeth. This was going to be a miserable summer.

.

For her part, Headmistress McGonagall was never happier to see the backside of the little monsters than this year. She was grateful to Miyamoto Yusuke for sidelining Dumbledore so effectively. Now she could get things done. 

Hiring a new History professor was first on the list. As was a new Defense professor. And having a very stern word with Severus Snape. As to this Tri-Wizard nonsense? She had no doubt that Hogwarts was stuck with it, but she was going to establish some rules of her own, and make them stick.

She looked up from her tea as the door chime announced a visitor.

“Ah, yes, Severus, come in.”

Severus Snape entered the Headmasters office and settled in a comfortable chair, McGonagall disdained the games Dumbledore played to keep people off balance. 

“You wished to speak to me?” 

“I did. I understand that you have refused to answer His call. I’m sure this puts you in some danger, so I wished to know what I could do.” Minerva looked at her friend over the rim of her cup.

“It would be ... beneficial if I could stay here all summer. I have brewing for the infirmary to do and some research of interest. That would relieve you of the necessity of remaining. I know you have to stay for several days, interviewing applicants, but you could still have your two weeks at McGonagall place. If I stay, that is.” Snape hoped to be allowed to stay, returning to his home was always problematical. 

“Yes, you may stay. Now, I wish to address your appalling teaching methods.” And, with that, she launched into a lecture on his methods, attitude and practices that left him flabbergasted and furious. She ended with, “And here are several books that I want you to read. You will be tested on your understanding of the principles and practices. And I will personally review every detention and point deduction, you are on probation, effective immediately.” she glanced out a window for a moment then turned back. “And do not approach Dumbledore about this. I do have the privilege of hiring and firing. The Board of Governors, in their wisdom, have transferred that to me exclusively.” 

Shaking with fury, he just snatched up the books and stormed out the door, slamming it on his way.

Headmistress McGonagall shook her head, she was fairly sure that Severus would comply with her desires, but she was going to keep an eye out for a potions professor, just in case. She was looking forward to a restful summer. She returned to her work, humming. She realized that it was the tune to a muggle song. She whispered the words with a chuckle. “Schools out, Schools out. Teacher let the fools out.” 

.

Ofukuro-sensei - Ofukuro is rather rude for Mother. Yusuke, in usual Yakuza style, is calling McGonagall ‘Mother-teacher’

Okugata - lady, nobleman’s wife

a couple of time jumps in this chapter because nothing interesting happened. Can’t have drama and angst every single day. Right?


	27. Chapter 27

Summer fun. This chapter is a break between sixth and seventh year. mostly just stuff I wanted to write. Enjoy it in the spirit it was written.   
Somehow, my acknowledgement of my beta’s went by the wayside. I’m so sorry. *hangs head*   
Betaed by Purpledodah and 50ftqueenie

.

At Yusuke’s signal, the whole party folded away to Japan. This shook several observers as the group formed up behind Yusuke and Shiriusu-oji and just walked into nothing. They were gone between one step and a the other.

They appeared in the back yard of Miyamoto HQ on Hokkaido and just kept walking, right into the house. As they entered, the men peeled off to go to their quarters, a lounge or where ever they needed to go. 

Sirius nodded. “Remusu-kun, any business we need to deal with?”

Remus shook his head, “No, Shiriusu-kun. I took care of anything immediate yesterday.”

Yusuke sighed, “Well, thank you. I really would like a day or two to just fuck around. I’m sick of dealing with Eigo no oroka-sa.”

Sirius snorted, “English stupidity, indeed. You do need to rest. You’re scrambling your languages again.”

Yusuke grumbled a bit then headed for his rooms. “I’m going to take a nap. Call me when Father gets here. And no more English. Japanese only. I’m losing my touch.”

Remus glanced at Sirius who just shrugged. It was obvious that Yusuke was thinking intensely. This could only be good for the gumi and bad for someone else. 

.

Yusuke was most displeased to find out that an emergency in the south had taken his father and all three brothers away at one time. Musashi-sama was in Tokyo, to be closer to the action. Ichigo-san was in Tottori with Ren-san. No one at HQ was sure exactly where Masa-san was.

His own orders were to relax, train and be ready if, or when, he was called. It seemed that the Shikkō-sha might be needed. The rumor was that Koreans were causing trouble down South. Shiriusu-oji wasn’t happy about this but he, Yusuke, had told him that it was his honor and duty to obey. Remus-aniki had agreed with Yusuke, much to Shiriusu-oji’s annoyance. 

So, for now, Yusuke decided to work on the two talents he had that had been most difficult to practice at Hogwarts; koto and calligraphy. 

He also needed to clean out his mallet space. He chuckled to himself, who would have thought such a thing would be so useful. But it did have the habit of collecting junk. This made it hard for him to find what it wanted, especially his cigarettes. He decided to do that next morning, after breakfast. For now, he was going to have a nice, private meal and go to sleep. He was going to be off balance until he was back on Japanese time. Even the three or four hours he needed would help.

.

As it turned out, he was up at 3am. He just couldn’t sleep any more. He got up and wandered the garden for a while. The moon was at three-quarters so there was plenty of light. He found the rock and sand Zen garden especially relaxing. He watched the moon shadows as they moved across the garden, feeling truly relaxed for the first time since he’d gone to Scotland. 

He did’t like the class set up, the food was heavy and greasy, and most of the professors were barely competent. The attitudes of the purebloods made him want to shoot the lot of them, inbreeding was rampant and it showed. He smoked as he watched the moon set then got up and wandered through the house for a while. The smells, sounds and sights reassured him, settling his nerves in a way that he would never admit to. This was home, not England.

Sirius woke up, unsure of the reason but he got up just to check around. He found Yusuke sitting on the engawa.

“Can’t sleep?” He settled siza beside Yusuke.

“No. I don’t sleep much, three or four hours a night mostly. I’m always up and about before daylight.” Yusuke offered Sirius a cigaret, which he took. The smell of cloves hovered in the air around them.

They smoked in companionable silence, watching the sun rise. A gaki, who stayed awake all night just in case one of the senior men wanted something, settled a small table with a tea set on it next to Yusuke, bowed and settled out of sight. Yusuke poured tea and they sipped as the sun topped the horizon. 

When the sun was up, Yusuke stood. “I’m going to work out. You want to come with?”

Sirius got up, standing by the strength of his legs alone. “Sure. I better drag Remusu-kun out of bed too. He’ll be pissed, if he misses out.”

Remus was less than pleased to be dragged out of bed at, what he called, the ass crack of dawn. Then he learned why. He was out of his futon and dressed in seconds. 

Remus had said that he was going to dress in Japanese traditional style, as did most of the permanent residents of Ie no Miyamoto, the house of Miyamoto, as the Headquarters compound was called. He found that the climate in Hokkaido, even though it was the most northern part of Japan was much warmer than he was used to. Thus, the light yukata was much more comfortable. Sirius agreed with him. 

They laughed at each other then hurried to join Yusuke who was dressed in strange, tight black clothing. The sleeves and bottom of the legs were cross gartered and his tabi had soft rubber soles.

Yusuke looked at them and sighed. “The first thing we have to do is get you both Shinobi Shozoku.” at their puzzled expressions, he explained, “You’d call them ninja uniforms. The clothing makes it much easier to run ...” he gave them an evil grin. “And that’s what we’re going to do. I’m all out of shape. You have no idea how hard it is to run at Hogwarts.” 

A gaki approached with two Shinobi Shozoku draped over his arm. He gave one to each man and waited while they stripped down and changed. The gaki picked up the yukata and obi, folded them neatly and went away.

Yusuke took the opportunity to check both Sirius and Remus over. What he saw pleased him. Sirius was still a bit too thin but he was well muscled, in the way of many martial artists, with long corded muscles wrapped around sturdy bones.

Remus was a bit of a surprise. His usual, hunched posture, hid wide shoulders and narrow hips. He was well setup, in the way of most wrestlers, with heavy slabs of hard muscles. Yusuke realized that he’d assumed that submissive posture early on, trying to convey that he was not aggressive; despite the fact that he could probably tear most of his oppressors in half.

Yusuke noticed that both men were aware of his appraisal and nodded to them. “We ready?”  
He got grunts of assent back and they were off.

The run led the group all over the compound, across the roofs, across the top of the compound wall and down the steep path to the bathhouse.

They arrived there, panting and sweaty, to be greeted by the host. He took their clothing and pointed to the bath. “All ready for you, sirs. Please enjoy.” and, with that, he went away with their sweaty clothing. 

The bath was as beautiful as ever and Sirius remarked that he’d missed it in England. Yusuke replied, “Yes, English bathing facilities leave a great deal to be desired. I especially miss an Anma. A massage is just the thing after a good run. Tomorrow, we’ll workout on arts.” He picked up a pot of soft soap and began to wash.

Sirius nodded. “Just so I know, what are you planning for today?” Yusuke handed Sirius the soap.

“Practice. Koto and calligraphy. I had the worst time practicing koto. My roommates didn’t like it, not that I blame them for that. And Hermione spent most of her time, when not in class, in the juku. Wandering around Hogwarts, late at night, wasn’t much of an option. Filch was everywhere and I got tired of arguing with the old fool. And the other old fool was even more annoying.” Yusuke gave Sirius and Remus a look of such disgust that they laughed. “He twinkles way too much.” 

They quickly finished washing and went into the bath. 

They all laughed as they eased into the hot water. Sirius sighed softly as the water lapped comfortably over his shoulders. “This is nice. I really think I’ll stay here in Japan.” he wet a cloth, folded it and put it on top of his head. “While I’m thinking of it ... What do you want done with your inheritance? I can manage it for you until you get it, or I can turn it over to someone else. All I have to do is sign some papers.”

“Ok. I’m only 16, as the Ministry of Morons keeps reminding me. But, I think I’m perfectly capable of managing my businesses myself. After all, I’ve been doing it, with help, since I had a business. However, Father didn’t raise a fool, so I’m happy to accept any help you’re offering. I do not understand the British Magical laws, yet. So thank you. I will sit in as much as possible. As long as that won’t put you off.” Yusuke smirked at Sirius.

“I have to manage for you, or have someone approved by the BM ...” Remus rolled his eyes and Sirius, realizing what his short hand actually meant, cracked up. When he was calm, he continued, “so I think I should keep marginal control. You have minions to deal with most of the day-to-day stuff. And they can advise you on major decisions. I’ll actually do the same thing. I’ll make a standing appointment once a week to deal with things. Other than that, they’re on their own, with a set of standing orders as a guideline. Comment?”

Remus interjected, “A good businessman makes sure that his businesses mostly run themselves. Anyone who spends the majority of their time running something, isn’t doing it right.”

Yusuke nodded. “That’s right. That’s what ... what did you call them once? Minions?” Sirius laughed and nodded. “That’s what minions are for. And what is the difference between a minion and a gaki?”

They spent the next half hour or so discussing that, and other things. In the end, Yusuke decided to keep up his management of his Japanese properties and leave management of his English assets to Sirius. Remus had refused to take any responsibility, announcing, “I’m nothing but dumb muscle. You want someone wacked, I’m your man. But I refuse to sit in some stuffy office, trying to get some idiot to do what he’s supposed to. That’s your bailiwick.”

After getting out of the bath, they dressed in clean yukata, geta and obi and headed for the compound again.

Once there, Remus and Sirius settled in on the engawa to play Go. Yusuke went inside, grumbling. 

It didn’t take long for the sound of a Koto to drift out a nearby window. 

A few of the waka had been socializing on the engawa, chatting and laughing. They fell silent in seconds. A couple of gaki had to be convinced, with a smack or two, to be silent. What followed was a three hour long proof that Yusuke hadn’t missed that much practice. The strains of melody after melody kept them all enthralled until the music stopped and Yusuke’s voice, demanding tea, was heard again.

“Well, that was ... wow. He’s really good.” Sirius was more used to the amateurish plonking of spoiled purebloods. This was something much different.

Remus actually startled slightly when Sirius spoke. He shook off the mild trance he’d fallen into and replied, “He was trained well. He told me he started lessons shortly after he arrived here.” he cracked his back. “I wonder if he’s going to keep up his old schedule?”

“Probably. He told me at Ken No Ie that he missed his routine.” Sirius considered that for a moment. He was now responsible for Yusuke’s daily security and he knew he’d have to find out all the details so he could be sure to do his job right.

Remus knew exactly what they needed to do so he motioned to a hovering gaki and said, “Ask Yusuke-san to come speak with us, please.” the gaki bowed and hurried off. Remus grinned at Sirius. “They’re all so accommodating.”

Sirius snorted into his teacup. “Yeah, they are. Couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you could tear them in half without breaking a sweat. That’s one thing I really like about this country. They respect weres.”

Remus nodded his agreement. “Yeah, I wouldn’t even consider returning to England except that Yusuke needs me there.” he contemplated his cup for a moment. “and I wonder why it’s so easy to think of him as Yusuke instead of Harry.”

Sirius thought that over for a moment. “Because we respect him for who he is, instead of trying to force him to be what we want him to be. Dumbledore is going to get a very nasty surprise very soon, or I’m very much mistaken.” 

Remus nodded wisely and offered, “Square peg, round hole.” 

Yusuke settled carefully on a zabuton one of the gaki put down for him. “My fingers are sore. Fix it, please.” he held out a hand to Sirius who obediently waved his, sending a general healing spell over the extended digits. “Thank you. What did you want?”

“Your daily schedule. I need to know what’s going on so I can provide security.” Sirius poured Yusuke some tea.

“Mmm. Very nice tea. I do love oolong.” he sipped. “The jasmine is very subtle. Excellent.” he thought for a while then said, “Morning run including parkor, to end at the bath. Koto and calligraphy. Kata until lunch. Afternoon to be decided at lunch or spent here in the compound, probably in meditation. Business as needed. Basically, I’m in seclusion, unless Father or one of my brothers needs a job done. Then, we’ll discuss things.” he gave Sirius a sharp look. “I’m used to having men around me all the time, just not in my face. Ok?”

Sirius nodded. “Got it. You’re easy.”

“But I’m not cheap.” Yusuke grinned, finished his tea and announced. “Calligraphy. Ignore the swearing.” and ambled off to practice that.

.

The next day was a preview of the days and weeks to come. 

On paper it didn’t look like much.

5am - 7am ± 30 run including parkor and bath  
7am - 8am breakfast including interviews with business managers  
8am - 9am practice Koto  
9am - 10am practice calligraphy and art  
10am - 12pm kata  
12pm - 1pm lunch including more business (If needed) and planning for afternoon.   
1pm - 3pm or later activities as planned or meditation.  
5pm - 7pm business meetings  
7pm - 9pm dinner with entertainment  
9pm on private activities. Reading, study, etc. 

But the reality was:

Sirius groaned as someone tugged the thin rakuten off him. “What?”

Yusuke’s too cheerful voice demanded, “Up. We run in five minutes.”

Remus snarled from the doorway. “You just had to agree to keep up with the brat, didn’t you?”

Sirius snarled right back as he struggled with the still unfamiliar black clothing, “Fuck you, wolf. We’re both out of shape, so we keep up.”

Yusuke led them a merry chase, just as he had the day before, and they wound up at the baths again, sweating, swearing and exhausted. The waka and gaki that had followed them all laughed at the gaijin but offered massages and other amenities. Remus admitted to being more muscle than gazelle, while Sirius blamed his shortcomings on Azkaban. Yusuke sneered at them all.

Baths finished, they took the leisurely short path back to the compound for breakfast.

Breakfast was traditional Japanese combined with some American fare. Pancakes, waffles and American bacon seemed to be popular, fruit filled crepes were also offered. Yusuke took a Japanese Traditional accompanied by a crepe. He spent most of his breakfast going over reports from various businesses. He listened politely, offered ‘suggestions’ then sent each man on his way. Except for the last one.

Something this man said caused Yusuke to give him a freezing glower that made him cringe. Neither Sirius nor Remus were actually listening in on the conversation, it wasn’t their place. Yusuke attracted their attention by saying, “One more mess like this and you’ll be offering me yubitsumi and begging me to take it. Get out!”

The man scrambled to his feet, bowed deeply and scurried out, wiping sweat off his face as he went.

Sirius demanded, “Ok, why don’t I know that jerk?”

The answer made him scowl. “Because my older brother installed him when the regular manager had a heart attack. He really just promoted the next in line.” Yusuke shook his head at Sirius. “And don’t scowl like that. It’s SOP, Ichigo knew that I’d replace him this summer so he was just ... what you call a stop gap?”

Sirius relaxed. “Ok. Yeah, stop gap. You gonna replace him now ... or later?”

Yusuke nibbled at a bite of okonomiyaki. “I’m really not sure. I might just kill him, if he persists in his stupidity. But ... we’ll see. Let’s finish lunch. There’s no more meetings.”

Remus grumbled, “Good. All that business chatter was getting on my nerves.” he held up a hand. “I know you have to do it. No responsible businessman lets his business go too long. And you’ve had a hard time keeping up just using reports. But it’s still irritating that you have to take business while you eat.”

Yusuke smiled at his honorary uncles. “I’d rather do it at lunch than dinner. And one meal or the other is usually the only time those people have free to meet with me. I could demand that they come during regular business hours, but that would mean I have to go in to the office in Sapporo. And that’s a pain, security wise. So, here, at lunch. I reserve dinner for private time with family. Unless Chi-chi-san has something on his plate.”

Sirius left it at that, only saying, “Oh. Well ... ok, then.”

Remus was the spark that decided their plans for the afternoon, and several more. “I wish I was better at that gymnastic stuff you do.”

“Parkor?” Yusuke wasn’t exactly sure what Remus was referring to as much of his art was, in some ways, gymnastic.

“Yeah, that. I’d like to learn more about it. I’d especially like to learn how you run up a wall without magic.” Remus seemed to light up with excitement.

“I use a bit of magic on that. Just a sticking charm to keep my shoes from slipping ... but still...” he shrugged, “If you’re interested, I’ll be glad to teach you.” he turned to a gaki. “Arrangements to go to that park just outside Tokyo. The smaller one.”

The gaki bowed, murmured, “As you wish.” and left to make arrangements.

Yusuke also left, waving a hand to indicate that no on was to follow him. It wasn’t long before the strains of the koto were heard all over the compound. Most of the men kept on with whatever it was that they were doing, but those who had leisure time stopped to listen. The next hour left most of the compound in a very good mood. 

The music was excellent.

Yusuke emerged from his rooms with a satisfied expression on his face. He extended his hands to Remus. “Healing spell?” Remus obliged. “Thank you.” 

Sirius offered tea, which Yusuke accepted with a slight bow. They drank in silence for a few moments then Sirius asked, “What next?”

“Calligraphy. Mine has suffered from lack of practice. I find Hogwarts singularly annoying. There is no provision for time for other activities. And trying to practice calligraphy with Hermione around is ... not easy. She is a giant box of why and can’t leave well enough alone.” he grimace his disapproval. “But ... I have high hopes for her. She is learning.”

Remus opened his mouth then shut it. But Yusuke explained, “She is my project. She is a perfectly acceptable person in her own right, but she is not happy. So ... I watch her. She has no social skills at all. She must have been raised in a hedge, that is the correct saying?”

Sirius nodded. “It is. And I know exactly what you’re saying.” he sipped tea for a moment then started as he remembered something. “Oh! And don’t forget that you promised to teach her how to ride her oar.”

Yusuke blinked for a moment then allowed, “So I did. I made a half-way decent start but it was so cold that both of us gave up. Scotland is damn cold. We both nearly froze our finger off. I’ll have to make arrangements.”

Sirius shook his head. “Leave that to me. After all, that’s one of the things I’m getting paid for.” he pulled a small note book out of his sleeve and wrote a reminder.

Yusuke finished his tea and wandered back into his office to practice his calligraphy. He was working on grass script as it was what he used to write on his paintings. This was one of the things he missed at Hogwarts, he couldn’t paint. Well, he could, but he had to spread them all over his area and Hermione had smeared several as she couldn’t keep her fingers out of the still wet ink. And trying to do it in his dorm was worse than useless. He had finally convinced Hermione to leave well enough alone by getting snarky with her. It made her cry a bit but convinced her to at least ask before touching. She was apologetic and promised to do better, but Yusuke kept his painting to a minimum, only working when he was sure he’d have privacy to concentrate. 

He covered every flat surface in two rooms with art, banners and placards. He then called for tea. 

Yusuke sat, drinking tea, allowing himself one cup then got to his feet, announcing, “Kata!” and walked out into the inner garden that was exclusively his and began. 

He reached up into mallet space and rummaged for a moment, muttering, “I have to clean this mess out.” He finally found his sword and unsheathed it, handing the sheath to a waka to keep for him.* 

He started out slow, just a simple kata that beginners were taught, just to warm up a bit. He liked being able to warm up; but he could, and would, go straight to the hard stuff at need.

He went from kata to kata, beginner to intermediate to master, spending nearly an hour in constant motion. When he was done with kata he paused to get a drink of cool water, wipe the sweat off his face and order, “Omoti, there.” He pointed to an area surrounded by a knee high, wooden beam, usually used as benches but clearly marking off a square some twenty feet square. 

Sirius cornered a watching waka and demanded, “Omoti? What’s that?”

The waka kindly explained that omoti were cutting targets made of rolled tatami mats.

Sirius watched Yusuke cutting for a few moments then remarked, “He seems so old sometimes. And to let a 16 year-old ...” he trailed off as the waka held up a hand,

“So sorry to be rude ... but he is the enforcer because ... it is difficult to explain but ... there are child soldiers in nearly every country in the world, except most western ones. Children fight in Somalia, Viet Nam, every Middle Eastern country in existence. Children can be quite vicious, and they mostly learn very quickly. Yusuke-san was taught from the time he came here to be yakuza. And so he is. If you judge him by your standards, you will fail to understand him. His gratitude to Musashi-sama for rescuing him has led to him developing many skills quite rapidly. His dedication to his skills is ... obsessive is the word, I think. He is what he is, and trying to judge him by any standards other than his own, will lead to more trouble than you want to deal with. Yes?”

Sirius looked at Remus who just shrugged. “Probably right. I’ve seen it. Kids can be the best warriors. They don’t have the sense of mortality that older people do. They do stuff that we can’t do because they don’t know it’s impossible and don’t believe that they’ll get killed.”

Sirius thought about that for a moment then shrugged. “As long as he’s happy. I really don’t care much about anything else. Remus?”

“I ... he’s pack. Stupid as that sounds, you know weres need pack. You and Yusuke are mine. If he’s happy, pack is happy. So I am too.” Remus eyed a gaki for a moment then motioned him over. “Cigaret?” the gaki happily provided him with one, already lit. “Arigato.” 

Sirius settled back to watch while his godson demolished otome for nearly half an hour. He only stopped then because the gaki ran out of materials to make more. 

He then worked on Iaido. He felt he’d barely gotten started when he was called for lunch.

Lunch saw more business meetings. Remus asked Sirius why and Sirius explained that he was Wakagashira but that didn’t mean he could operate from half way around the world. So, things were a bit out of hand and Yusuke had to gather in the reins again. So, meetings.

However, these meetings went much better than the mornings had. Yusuke was well pleased with the results of these meetings and dismissed everyone back to their usual duties. He settled to finish his lunch and tea.  
“Well, that went well. I think I’ll spend this afternoon meditating. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the parkor park. Yes?” He turned to look at the man he’d ordered to set up a run.

The dansei scurried forward. “Yes. I have tickets for tomorrow, anytime. I got ten for runners and another ten for observers. The observers are supposed to stay in the stands, but I don’t think there will be too much trouble with us going wherever we want, as long as we stay out of the way of the runners.” he bowed then straightened to await his fate.

Yusuke nodded. “I am pleased. Good work.” he waved the man away but Sirius made a note in his book about the man. He was keeping records of who was good at something and what they were good at. He might never need it but better to have the info and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Sirius admitted that he’d learned to meditate while he was healing from his ‘visit’ to Azkaban and found that it helped him to find a mental equilibrium that he’d never had before. He settled on the zabuton next to Yusuke and fell into a deep meditative state. They both spent the next two hours in meditation. All the dansei tip-toed around them. Remus remembered the one, and only, time Sirius had been abruptly pulled out of meditation. It had not been pretty and the gaki still bore a few scars. He really didn’t want to see what might happen if Yusuke was treated in the same way. He shuddered and went to take a nap.

The soft chime of a timer brought both men out of their meditation just in time for Yusuke to begin another round of meetings. This time Sirius was included as most of that business was English. 

Sirius settled himself behind and to the left of Yusuke, ready to lean forward and whisper advice in his ear. He had to laugh at himself, his mother would have a tizzy if she could see him, adviser to a yakuza. But, he was enjoying himself a great deal, had his friends to laugh with and he was satisfied. 

Remus sat down with Sirius for a heated game of Shogi with Yusuke offering advice impartially. Remus won, despite Sirius’ accepting Yusuke’s advice. After another game was started Yusuke announced that he was going to spend an hour on his assignments. He sneered a bit as he ambled away to deal with stupidity, as he put it.

The evening came and they all gathered in the dinning hall for dinner. As they sat down, Miyamoto Ichigo walked in.

“I’m so sorry, Yusuke-kun, Father is still hung up down South. Those damn Koreans are really ...” he sighed. “I’m not sure but what your skills may be called for. It is most irritating.”

Yusuke signaled for service then bent to listen to Ichigo-san’s carefully soft voiced explanation of what was going on. Sirius cast a discrete privacy charm while Remus moved to shield Ichigo-san with his body. He was fairly sure that none of the dansei could read lips, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

As Ichigo talked, Yusuke’s face darkened. It seemed that Korean Mafia was trying to move in on some businesses in Fukuoka. It was causing problems, as the businesses in question were more than happy with the services provided by the Yamaguchi-gumi. The Koreans where trying to force them to change to their group by beating people up. They’d also burned one business to the ground. Ichigo said that one more major incident and Yusuke would be sent to ‘convince’ the head of the Mafia to go elsewhere. Yusuke just ate his food and listened, beginning preliminary plans in his head.

“Well, so-so-so. We’ll see. Shiriusu-oji, check into arrangements, but don’t make any yet. And see about getting Hermione here next week. If I have to go down south to deal with things, I don’t want her disappointed. And ... anything else?” Yusuke sipped his tea while he waited for Sirius or Remus to speak. Neither one did so Yusuke signaled for the entertainment to begin.

This, it turned out, was the sister of one of the older waka who had agreed to come play shamisen. She was very good and the applause was accompanied by a discretely offered gift of money in a small silk purse. She tucked the purse into her obi, bowed politely to the room and scurried out. A squeak from the hall proved that she couldn’t wait and that she was pleased with the offering.

Remus nodded toward the door. “You play?”

Yusuke blinked for a moment. “Shamisen? No. Koto only. I tried but I’ve got too much on my plate with what I do to learn another instrument. Besides, it’s a bit girly.”

Ichigo smacked him on the shoulder, growling, “I play shamisen.”

Yusuke laughed at him then said, “Yes. Yes, you do. Bitch.”

“Asshole. Behave yourself, you’ll give Shiriusu-san and Remusu-san the wrong impression.” Ichigo helped himself to some fruit and turned the conversation to other things. Remus smirked at Sirius, who chuckled into his tea.

When desert was done, Yusuke dismissed the group. The gossip that night was all about who was going to do what and when. Yusuke, overhearing someone, yelled at all of them to stop ‘clucking like hens’ and go to sleep. 

.

The visit to the parkor park was put off in favor of having Hermione come the next afternoon.

Sirius had called on the telephone, to ask Hermione when it would be convenient for her to come for her oar flying lesson. 

Her reply had everyone scurrying around to get ready for her lesson. She was leaving for France with her parents the day after and wasn’t going to upset their plans or take off on the first day of vacation. There were plans for every other day of the two weeks they would be gone. Yusuke didn’t want to wait two weeks, as he wasn’t sure when he’d be called to deal with the Korean problem. 

Hermione was delighted, as she admitted that she was sure Yusuke would forget.

Yusuke greeted her with a neat bow and a soft, “I didn’t forget. Come.”

Hermione trotted after him, looking around with interest. A constant stream of questions flowed from her lips. Yusuke answered most of them, but, when she asked how old the compound was he motioned to an old man.

This man stepped forward and explained that the current compound was only about 300 years old, with a few exceptions, but the site had been occupied by the same blood since before written records. He offered to give her a tour, with details.

Hermione managed a creditable bow and said, “Thank you so much for instructing me, teacher.”

The old man smiled at her then barked, “And so, you see how to treat a man with respect, you bunch of bastard idiots.” he then bowed to Hermione, turned and wandered off into the garden.

Hermione managed to keep a straight face until he was gone, then she nearly fell down, she laughed so hard. “Oh, he is priceless. Who is he?”

Yusuke laughed. “He’s the Old Gardener. I swear he doesn’t remember his real name anymore.”

Hermione just nodded. “Ok. Oh! Oh! What’s that?” and she was off again. Yusuke dismissed most of the men with a motion of his hand. Sirius went with them, there was some house business he needed to take care of, business that was his to deal with. He watched the two young people with some amusement.

Remus was of the opinion that Hermione and Yusuke might make a match of it. Sirius had scoffed this to shame. He was well aware that Yusuke found Hermione amusing. But there was no way he would make a match with a woman from England. Musashi already had a wife picked out for him. Some woman from a lesser clan, a political match. Remus knew that Yusuke knew about the woman, he also knew that Musashi wouldn’t force the match, if Yusuke found someone more appealing. But Hermione was much too English for Yusuke. The boy even refused to use his English name, claiming that it wasn’t a name that had ever been used with love.

Yusuke finally got Hermione to the race track. Quidditch was known in Japan but not much played. They were more into racing and obstacle courses. And they thought brooms were fussy, unstable, and untrustworthy. Oars were just so much better. Yusuke was of the same opinion. He found the brooms at Hogwarts to be unacceptably twitchy.

“Hermione, pay attention, that shrine will be there after we’re done.” Yusuke rolled his eyes, Hermione was still on a rampage of discovery, including pelting everyone near her with questions. “The Old Gardener will take you on a tour, after.”

Hermione sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just all so fascinating. Every building in this compound has to be absolutely ancient. Older than Hogwarts even.”

Yusuke shook his head. “If you’ll look around, most of the buildings are wood. The structures have all been replaced, rebuild or simply abandoned and allowed to fall down, for centuries. I think that one building, which is made of stone, might date back seven or eight centuries, the rest are more modern. Relax. We’ll fly, then I’ll turn you over to your tour guide.”

Hermione obediently turned her attention to her oar and Yusuke’s instructions. “Ok. Sorry. I know you promised that the old man would take me around, but ...” she sighed and pinned her eyes on Yusuke. “I’m ready. What first?”

“First, you mount your oar. Just like a broom.” Yusuke straddled the broom. That was when he found out one of the major reasons that Hermione didn’t like riding.

Hermione grimaced as she straddled the oar and said, “Up.” it rose up and she settled gingerly on it. “Ok. I’m ready.”

Yusuke sighed, “No, you’re not. I have to show you how to adjust the cushioning charms. Otherwise, the oar will ... um ... poke you in all your bony places. Very uncomfortable.” At Hermione’s expression he muttered, “So. Trust Weasley to leave out that important bit. And that hawk-eyed woman too.” He spent several minutes showing Hermione how to adjust the charms so that she didn’t feel like she was straddling a fence rail. “And there! Comfortable?”

Hermione beamed at him. “Yes. Very. Now what?”

“Now we go forward. Just lean a bit toward the front of your oar. The farther forward you lean the faster you go.” He watched as Hermione leaned forward carefully. “Excellent.”

Hermione was now torn between thrilled and pissed. Thrilled that she was learning how to fly and pissed that no one had bothered to tell her all the little things that made flying comfortable and easy. She assumed that it was because no one thought enough of her to do it.

Yusuke guarded Hermione as she slowly flew around the oval track of the speedway. She took her time, learning things she should have been taught in first and second year.

finally, she stopped, turned to Yusuke and demanded, “Ok, now what?”

“Now you just go faster and faster until you get nervous about the speed. I’ll be behind and beneath you, to catch you of something goes wrong. You need to fly at least twenty feet high, it’s actually safer.” He waited for her to refuse, she’d only been flying about six feet above the clay surface.

“Ok. You fly up about as high as you want to be and I’ll try to get five or six feet above you. That work?” Hermione was concentrating so hard on doing it right that she missed the smile Yusuke shot her.

“Yes. That’s fine. Go now.” Yusuke zipped up to level off at his preferred height with Hermione right behind him. He leveled off and Hermione took her position. Yusuke watched as Hermione began her first circuit of the track. “You’re doing fine. Go a bit faster every lap.”

Hermione found that she didn’t mind looking down. “Ok.” She obediently flew as fast as she was comfortable with, increasing the speed the next lap and every lap after that until the oar wouldn’t go any faster. Yusuke stuck right with her, a few feet behind and below her. 

He finally had to call her down. “Hermione! Enough! Come down now.”

Hermione landed, slowing then stepping off her oar. “Ok, but I was really enjoying that. An oar is so much more stable and comfortable than a broom.” 

Yusuke didn’t bother to correct her. Sirius and Remus had agreed that an oar and a broom were more similar than they were different. “I’m glad you like it. Next, we work on maneuvering. You follow me through the obstacles then go by yourself. I don’t think I need to spot you. You look like you’re stuck on that oar with a sticking charm. Very good.”

Hermione managed not to split her cheeks but it was a near run thing, her smile made the observers grin back. 

They had a bit of a bad start, Hermione over corrected and expected to be yelled at. But Yusuke, unlike Ron, knew better, he just explained what she’d done wrong and got her started again. She did well in the over-and-under, where she was required to fly over bars and under others. The only way you knew which was which was the over bars were red and the under bars were white. There were pylons to fly around, or through, as well as hoops. The course was marked with numbers; the easy course was marked with 1’s, the intermediate with 2’s and the hard with 3’s. The idea was that beginners would just fly the 1’s, more experienced flyers progressed from 1’s only to also flying 2’s then, as they became more experienced, 3’s. She managed the #1 course easily and most of the #2 course. She went through it several times, building up speed each lap. When Yusuke wanted her to finish the 2’s she eyed the end of that and the beginning of the #3 course and refused, politely, to try, declaring, “I’m not about to kill myself for pride’s sake. Can we eat now?”

Yusuke laughed at that and allowed that they could. “Yes, you’ve done quite well. Where do you want to eat?”

“Back at the compound, I want my tour.” Hermione busied herself with putting her oar away, after tucking the case into her purse she took Yusuke’s arm and they folded back to the compound.

True to his word, Yusuke turned Hermione over to the old gardener and allowed him to sit beside her while she plied him with questions.

He answered, smiling happily, then he dragged her away to tour the entire compound. She returned two hours later, tired and happy. And ready to go home. Yusuke nodded to Sirius, “Shiriusu-oji, please take her home. Yes?”

Sirius nodded absently. “Sure thing.” He was already getting himself ready to fold two people to England. He was going to be beat when he got back, but he needed the practice. And the more he folded, the stronger he’d be. 

Hermione obediently took his arm and started walking beside him. They just walked out of existence between one step and the next.

Yusuke nodded to himself and crossed that task off his ‘to-do’ list. It wasn’t very long, which was good, but they were things that really needed doing.

One of the things was to find out exactly what was going on down south. His father was being singularly uncommunicative and he didn’t like it. He decided to ask Sirius what he thought.

“Shiriusu-oji?” Yusuke scratched on the doorframe. Shoji did not lend themselves to knocking very well.

“Yes? Problems?” Sirius offered tea.

“Thank you. I’m going to come right to the point. I need advice. All the dansei say to let Father handle it. But ... I need to know what’s going on so I can be prepared.” Yusuke sipped tea as Sirius thought.

After a while he said, “Well ... knowing your Father, he’s got something up his sleeve, but he doesn’t want even you to know yet. I’d just prepare in a general way and wait.” He held up a hand. “I know. I hate waiting just as much as you do. But we’ll both wait.” He grimaced. “We don’t have to like it.”

“Well, I don’t.” Yusuke put on that face that any parent of a 16 year-old would recognize. “But, I’ll wait.”

And wait they did. But the schedule kept them all busy and out of trouble. Yusuke and Sirius managed all the businesses while Remus went out on collections and a few ‘interventions’.

They waited long enough for Yusuke to get all his summer assignments done, for both Hogwarts and his tutors. Remus included.

But the day finally came when Miyamoto Musashi called the Shikkō-sha to come to him.

Yusuke packed his bags then swore furiously, he’d forgotten to clean out his mallet space.

Instead of messing with it, he did the logical thing, he called Sirius.

“What?!” Sirius slid the shoji aside and stepped into the room.

“I need to collapse my mallet space, it’s full of junk. But you’ll have to clean up the mess as Father is waiting on me.” And, with that, he flicked both hands in a quick signs that caused a huge pile of junk to fall out of thin air. “Well, shit. No wonder I can’t find anything.” Yusuke eyed the pile of stuff in disgust. “Father will be very annoyed with me.”

Sirius, who had seen what happened when Musashi-san was annoyed, asked, “Um ... what will he do?”

Yusuke sighed, glanced at Sirius, then said, “He’ll frown at me. I don’t like it. Help me sort through this mess.” 

Sirius called a couple of gaki and ordered, “Bring half a dozen large baskets.” then he explained, “What I’ll do is ... each basket is for a specific thing. Then the gaki can sort while we make the important decisions. I mean, we don’t need to look at each piece of parchment and paper to decide that some scribbled on, wadded up bit is important. Right?”

Yusuke agreed.

And so, gaki sorted through, picked out anything they thought might be of importance and tossed the rest. The reason for sorting was simple, the compound recycled. Glass was cleaned and reused, being mostly potion vials, bento boxes and that sort of thing. Paper was burned, used to start the morning fires. Parchment was just destroyed. 

The rest of the mess was mostly weapons. These were sorted, with some returned to Yusuke’s personal armory and the rest back into mallet space. It was also restocked with food, drink and potions. The medical kit was resupplied as well.

Then, Yusuke began the process of re-creating his mallet space. It wasn’t all that hard, it just took power. He envisioned what he wanted, then poured power into the image until a mallet space popped into existence. Since he was the only one who could actually see or feel it, Sirius remarked that he looked like he had a bad case of gas.

Yusuke gave him a mock evil-eye and chased him around the compound until they both flopped down on the engawa, laughing like maniacs.

Two days later, the call came. Yusuke put his cell in his pocket; and, yes, cells worked in the compound. All it took was a simple kanji somewhere on the things. 

“I have to go. Father wants me.” He picked up his already packed bag and shoved it into mallet space. He eyed the baskets then said, “Shiriusu-oji, Deal.” then folded away.

Sirius shook his head, amusement clear on his face and dealt. He told a dansei, “Clean up this mess. Everything in that basket keep, and that one. The rest ... whatever.” He pointed as he spoke then left to workout with Remus

.

Miyamoto Musashi was not pleased. He’d spoken to that misbegotten Korean idiot and gotten nothing but disrespect in return. He was not pleased at all. He expressed this very politely. He nodded to a man standing behind and to one side of the Korean nuisance. This man nodded back and eased a silken cord out of his pocket. It didn’t take him long to garrote the man. The body was then wrapped in a burlap sack and apparated to Korea. The body dropped from the rafters onto the floor, right in front of the head of the gang. They never did figure out how that happened. 

Musashi-sama then sent for his youngest son. 

Yusuke folded to the coordinates he’d been given and bowed to his father. “Sir.”

“Come. Sit beside me. I have need of your skills.” Musashi-sama indicated a zafu/zabuton seat with a wave of his hand. “I am most displeased with these Korean boryokudan, they have no manners, no ... grace.”

Yusuke bowed from his seated position. “As you wish, so shall it be. Intel?” He accepted a cup of tea and a plate of snacks from a waka. After a sip of tea and the obligatory bite of something, he settled down to listen to his father.

It wasn’t long until Musashi-sama was done explaining exactly what was needed and why. The Koreans were pushing their way into Yamaguchi territory. They’d already pushed a smaller gumi out of their territory. This would not happen to Yamaguchi, Yusuke would see to that. All it would take was a simple ‘intervention’, as Musashi-sama said, “Remove the head and the snake will die.”

Yusuke nodded. “That is true. Now, all I have to do is get to the head.”

“Not a problem. I’ve already had all the preliminaries done for you.” Musashi-sama motioned to a figure seated in the shadows. 

Miyamoto Masa slid out of the shadows and settled beside their father.

Yusuke nodded to his brother, saying, “Masa-aniki, a pleasure.”

Masa-san smiled. “Yes. I am pleased to see you.” He put a folder, a plain muggle manila one, down on the table between them, then eased it across the table with a gentle push. “Here. All the information we were able to gather for you.”

Yusuke took the folder and put it on the floor beside him. “I’ll read it tonight and have my questions for you in the morning. Now. Just speak to me. Yes?” 

Masa-san nodded. “Very well. These people are not wise.” Then he told Yusuke, not facts, but his impressions of the men in question, helped from time to time by Musashi-sama. 

They talked far into the night, then Yusuke went to read his folder then sleep. 

He was up early and finishing his list of questions before breakfast, where he would present them to his father and brother. He checked the list, satisfying himself that he hadn’t missed anything. Satisfied, he folded the list and went to breakfast.

After they ate, the three men went over every question, searching for answers. Masa-san had some and Musashi-sama had others. They called in the head of the team that had gathered their information and got answers to more. They sent the man to take his team and find the last answers. He bowed and vowed to have all their answers before dark.

“Father, I wonder ... where are Ichigo-kun and Ren-Kun?”

Musashi-sama replied, a bit absently, “Ren-san is back in Tokyo and Ichiogo-san should be here by noon. He was in Korea negotiating with a different mob for some transport. Finish your tea, it’s good for you.” He returned to the scroll he was reading.

“Yes, Father.” Yusuke obediently drank his tea.

He sat, visiting quietly with Masa, until Musashi noticed. “Yusuke, you’re going to be out all night. Go. Sleep.”

“Father, I have to work out then get my kit ready.” Yusuke knew much better than to argue with his father so he kept his tone soft and respectful.

“Yes. I realize this, but you are going to get plenty of workout later. You should rest now then warm up before you leave. I will send Ichigo to visit with you. He’ll bring lunch. Now, go.” Musashi-sama didn’t even look up from his report, confident that his youngest son would obey him. Explaining to Yusuke worked so much better than manipulating him, something that Musashi scorned, or ordering him. Ordering Yusuke to do something was much like ordering the tide to turn. If done at the proper time, it worked very well, but if the tide wasn’t ready to turn, no amount of ordering was of any use at all.

Yusuke decided to finish his Hogwarts homework, he still had a bit to do, and rest. He considered sitting and writing, resting, as he wasn’t running, doing kata, or yoga. He would meditate after he got the work done, then reread the report he’d been given.

He was meditating when Ichigo tapped gently on the floor to attract his attention without startling him. He looked up at his elder brother with a smile. “Ichigo-kun! Come in.”

Ichigo squatted in the doorway, put the tray he was carrying down, duck walked in, slid the shoji closed and pushed the tray over to Yusuke. The room was only a two mat room, a room that only required two tatami mats to cover, so it was easy. He settled facing his younger brother and started setting up the food. 

This was easy as the food was in two ‘formal’ bento boxes. So all he really had to do was open the boxes and pour the tea. 

“Eat.” Ichigo-san smiled at Yusuke.

Yusuke picked up his chopsticks and took a pickle. “Mmmm, very good. Thank you for a fine meal, brother.”

“Welcome.” Ichigo ate for a moment then began telling Yusuke everything he’d found out, filling in the last details of Yusuke’s mission. After that, they visited, exchanging stories of their time apart.

After about three hours, nearly 6pm, Ichigo announced, “So, get some rest. You’ll be out all night.” He held up a hand, “I know you don’t need much sleep but sleep now.”

Yusuke grumbled a bit but knew his elder brother was right. “Ok, ok. But where’s Ren?”

Ichigo shrugged. “Told you, not sure. He’s taken over the Tokyo end of things for now, so he’s on the move a lot. He’ll be around before you go back to England.”

Yusuke chose to be picky. “Not even England. It’s Scotland, and damn cold. Well, good night.”

Ichigo turned on his knees to put the tray out the door then turned back. “Good night.” He patted Yusuke on the shoulder. “I’ll wake you in time, ok?”

Yusuke mumbled, “Fine.” already half asleep.

Ichigo duck walked out the door, slid the shoji shut and set a guard to keep the area quiet. He left to speak to Musashi-sama.

.

Yusuke slept for about four hours, waking on his own at 10pm. He yawned, stretched and scratched. He was just getting ready to get out of his bed when Ichigo tapped on the floor.

“I’m up.” He took the bowl of rice and pickles he was offered. “Thanks. I’ll clean up then do a short warm up. I don’t think I’ll need more that a short yoga?” He made it a question.

“Probably not even that. We can’t get you as close as we thought.” Ichigo was going to have words with a few people. The dansei who’d done the surveillance had estimated the distances, instead of pacing them off. This meant that Yusuke was going to be dropped almost a mile from the target, instead of the quarter mile they’d been planning on. 

“That’s ok. As long as I have good cover. I do have plenty, right?” This was a consideration, as running across open ground was a sure give away.

“Yes.” Ichigo made a face. “They’ve let brush and bamboo grow right up to the walls in several places. You saw the pictures?”

“I did. But ... they’re not that good. There are several areas of the walls that there aren’t pictures of.” Yusuke sighed. “You need to have a talk with a few people.”

“Already planned on that. I’ll be waiting for you in the engawa. Get a move on. We leave in 45 minutes.” Ichigo took the now empty bowl and left to get the car brought around.

Due to the distance between here and their target and the fact that Yusuke had never been there and they had no coordinates, another thing that needed looking into, they were going to give Yusuke a portkey to the overlook. From there, he’d make his way on foot.

Everything worked just as they’d planned, but you know the saying, ‘No plan survives contact with the enemy.’ 

‘Halt! Who are you?” The guard’s voice rang out, the cool, damp mountain air making it carry all over the compound.

Yusuke swore softly as he ran straight at the guard. He pulled his sword from the saya on his back and beheaded the guard with a quick gesture. It was, however, too late for sneaking around, the whole compound was alerted. 

This meant that Yusuke had to locate his targets quickly and get to them. His Father wanted them dead, and dead they would be. He just had to figure out how.

He climbed over the lip of the wall and slithered onto the roof of the guard shack, from there, he scrambled silently down to the narrow walkway between the back of the shack and the compound wall. He moved from shadow to shadow, avoiding the running guards, who shouted back and forth. This shouting and the pounding of running feet hid Yusuke’s small sounds. 

The main building was right in the middle of the compound, which should have made it very defensible. Which it was, if you stayed where you were supposed to be. But the guards were all glory hounds of the worst sort, so they all ran to where they thought the action was. They were wrong, but they found that out too late.

Yusuke broke into the inner hall of the main building and confronted the bosses of the Korean gang. He didn’t say anything, it was way too late for words, he just beheaded all six of them, piled their heads in the middle of the room then left.

He didn’t get away unscathed, one of the bosses had a .45. He now sported a bullet burn on his left thigh and a cut on his right foot. He’d managed to step on a piece of a broken beer bottle. He cast a quick healing charm to hold him until he got to his pickup point. He glanced around to make sure he’d done what needed to be done, including stealing every scrap of paper he could find, then he cast his mark on the wall at the back of the room and left.

It took him a few seconds to fold back to the base in Fukuoka. 

He was immediately jumped by Sirius and Remus, Musashi-sama wisely kept out of their way.

“You’re bleeding.” Sirius stated the obvious without thinking.

“Well, I’ve been shot. Makes it sort of hard not to.” Yusuke was not in a good mood. He hated explaining to his tattoo artist why he needed yet another repair. 

Remus just scooped Yusuke up in his arms and got him to a futon. “Down, and stay there. If you need to report, Musashi-sama can come sit beside you.

Musashi took the hint and settled near Yusuke’s head, allowing the healers access to Yusuke’s wounds and distracting him.

Yusuke reported, handed over all the papers he’d collected. Musashi was pleased and said so. He also said that he’d arranged for the seconds of the mob to be brought to him in two days time.

Musashi glanced at Remus. “I would like to borrow your man, Remusu-san, if you don’t mind.”

Yusuke winced as the healer poured something into his wound. “As you wish. Just to satisfy my curiosity ... why?”

Musashi chuckled softly. “Have you seen that thing he can do with his eyes?”

Yusuke nodded, but questioned, “They’re all non-magical, so ... Explain? Yes?”

“They may be non-magical but those eyes ...” Musashi smirked.

Remus saw Sirius’ blank look so he cleared his throat, Sirius looked at him and nearly jumped out of his skin. Remus’ eyes were glowing a bright amber-gold. 

Sirius yelped softly and Remus nodded, one sharp jerk of his head. “See?”

Musashi shared a quirk of the lips with Yusuke. “Idiots.”

Yusuke agreed, “Both of them. But they are family ... and very useful.”

Sirius exclaimed indignantly, “Hey! I resemble that.” Remus just moaned and covered his eyes with one hand.

Yusuke smirked and allowed that perhaps all three of them should attend any meetings. Musashi agreed then told Sirius, “I trust that you will see to my sons well being.”

Sirius nodded, “I will. I’ll send you an update when the healer is done with him.”

Musashi smiled. “That is good. I need to strike while the iron is hot. Excuse me.” he rose, patting Yusuke on the shoulder he ordered, “Yusuke, my son, obey your uncle. Yes?”

Yusuke agreed, took his potions and settled down to sleep off the effects of the blood replenishing potions.

.

Two days later, the new heads of the mob were brought into the presence of Miyamoto Musashi; whether they wanted to come or not.

The shoji doors were slid apart by muscular men who glowered at them from a standing position, even though it was well known that traditional ‘Tobira kaihei sōchi’, door opening men, knelt. Their escort chivvied them into position on zabuton, facing the high table.

The high table was set on a dais about a foot high, this put Musashi-sama, Yusuke-san, Ichigo-san and the two, not so ‘ex’, marauders a head higher than anyone else seated in the room.

Musashi-sama sat in the middle, with Ichigo-san on his right and Yusuke-san on his left. Remus sat next to Ichigo while Sirius sat next to Yusuke. They made a fine picture, dressed as they were, in full, traditional yukata with kataginu. The kataginu were very traditional with heavily starched ‘yokes’ that made their shoulders look twice as wide as they really were. The mon on each breast of the kataginu were, rather vulgarly, done in gold thread.

Yusuke was obviously armed with a full daisho, as were Musashi-sama and Ichigo-san. Sirius was armed, but not as obviously; he had a S&W .357 magnum tucked between the folds of his kataginu and his obi. Remus wasn’t armed, he just was. 

Musashi started the meeting with an insincere smile and an offer of tea. “Tea, gentlemen?” The five men sneered at the offer. “No? To bad. It really is excellent.” Musashi made a show of pouring tea for his gumi. He then offered snacks, which were also rather rudely refused.

Yusuke shifted, moving the katana so that the tsuka was within easy grasp. He smiled guilelessly at the mobsters, sipped his tea and waited.

Musashi eyed the tea cup for a moment then remarked, “Some people ...” he looked directly at the new head of the Korean mob. “have no sense. They intrude where they are not wanted.” 

Ichigo agreed with his father. “Yes, they do. I do not understand why, either. If they listened to their betters, they would have no troubles.”

Sirius nodded wisely. “Indeed. It is such a shame, too. Learning can be such a painful thing.”

The mobsters shifted uncomfortably. They’d been snatched off the streets, out of their bed or out of their office, stuffed into a vehicle and brought here. And now, their hosts were talking crazy. 

The new head of the mob cleared his throat then demanded, “What the fuck do you want? We don’t have time to hang around here, sipping tea and eating crap like a bunch of old women.”

Musashi-sama raised an eyebrow and Yusuke tensed, like a coursing hound seeing it’s prey. “I see. Then just sit there until I feel like dealing with you.” and with that, he turned to Ichigo. “It’s too bad about them. We could have dealt with this like civilized men, but ...” he shrugged elegantly. “Yusuke? Any suggestions?”

Yusuke eyed the men up and down, the expression on his face distant and cold. “Well, I could just behead them all. That would bring up the next rank. Maybe they have better sense. Or we could hex them?” He sounded doubtful.

Remus put his cup on the table with a soft click. “Or you could just let me have them. I haven’t had a live play toy in longer than I can remember.” Since that was never, Yusuke hid a smile in his sleeve. 

Musashi-sama thought that over for a moment then announced, “No, I don’t think so.” Remus made sad face. “No, Remusu-san, I do not feel like dealing with the mess.”

The five Koreans sneered at that. Remus looked so harmless. He was dressed in traditional clothing and the wide shoulders of the garb made him look willowy. One of them went so far as to snarl, “Bring it on. I’ll break that gaijin in half.”

Remus slowly turned his head to look directly at the man. He allowed his eyes to change and, suddenly, he wasn’t so harmless looking anymore. 

Yusuke drew his sword so fast that the koiguchi sang, steel scrapping on brass.

But the thing that made two of them nearly faint was the huge, black dog that was suddenly snarling at their throats. 

Musashi sipped his tea then picked up a piece of cake. “I do so hope that my ... friends haven’t put you off your food.” he forked up a bite of cake and calmly ate it. “Yusuke, if you please.”

“Yes, Father.” Yusuke sheathed his sword. He accepted the cake he was offered and settled back to eat it.

Remus and Sirius also took cake. Ichigo served himself last. They did not offer their guests anything.

The Koreans, for their part, were beginning to sweat. They knew now that they’d bitten off way more than they could even begin to chew. They weren’t sure how to get out of the mess their old bosses had caused. And they knew, if they didn’t fix it, they were all dead.

Sirius noticed the sweating and decided to give the men some rope. “Well, Musashi-sama, perhaps they just need a bit of time to think about things. Maybe?”

Musashi thought about that for a moment then agreed. “Yes, perhaps this is so. Perhaps they might like to remain our guests while they think.” and with that, he dismissed the whole group. 

Dansei came forward and led the Koreans away, shutting them into a rather small, dim room with the announcement, “You stay here until you gain some sense. You’ll be fed at noon.” they settled down to wait out their incarceration with what dignity they could manage. The youngest one of them announced that he wasn’t going to stay but the other four beat him up. He decided that silence was a very good idea. 

Yusuke fiddled with his fork for a moment. “Father, what now?”

Musashi-sama smiled gently. “Now, we let them stew for awhile. Then we let them go. I don’t want to start a war with that mob of garutachi, it’s wasteful and unnecessary. They’ll back off. Especially now that they’ve seen that we mean business.” he poured more tea all around. “You did well, my son. I am proud of you.”

Ichigo-san nodded his head in agreement, offered that he was sure the Koreans got the idea. He finished by adding his commendation. “Yes, Yusuke-kun. You did well. Your wounds are healed?”

“Yes. Shiriusu-oji is a bastard.” Yusuke scowled at Sirius who just gave him back a ‘who me?’ innocent gaze.

Musashi snorted inelegantly. “Shut up, you brat. He’s a good man.”

Yusuke agreed that this was so. They settled in to finish their treats in peace.

.

 

When the Korean mob bosses were brought back into the hall for supper they were in a completely different mood. It didn’t take them long to hammer out a contract that left the Japanese division of their group in Miyamoto hands. They then scurried back to Korea with their tails between their legs. 

However, Yusuke was displeased. “Damnit, I was hoping for one summer where there wasn’t some sort of shit for me to clean up.”

Musashi nodded. “I am sorry about that, my son. I know you were looking forward to peace, for once. How can I make it up to you?”

Yusuke shook his head, pony tail swishing across his shoulders. “It is nothing. I always strive to please you. Besides, it isn’t your fault. Those idiots should have known what would happen when they tried to move into our territory. I should have killed the whole bunch of them.”

Ichigo said, sensibly enough, “And if you’d done that, who would have carried the tale? Yes?”

“Well, if you’re going to be logical about it.” Yusuke pouted a bit then gave it up. “Only thing is. I have to head back to Scotland in a week. This is just an annoyance. I don’t see why we can’t complain to the ICW and let them handle it.”

Sirius explained that easily enough. “Because the ICW is the magical equivalent of the UN. They don’t deal with internal stupidity.”

Remus added, “Exactly. If they made a habit of pulling that sort of stunt, the ICW might be persuaded to look into it. But for one person? Waste of time on our part. You’ll just have to suck it up and deal.”

“Well, fuck. But, I’ve already scared off or killed ...” he thought for a moment. “Probably half of his followers. And the rest are keeping their heads down. Malfoy has gone to France and shows every intention of staying there. Draco is locked out of the main house and living in the Dower House for the summer. He’s in disgrace. I need to make sure that the jackass doesn’t do something that makes it necessary for me to kill him. He’s no more than a child, playing with swords.” Yusuke sighed, he hated dealing with this whole mess. “I just hope something entertaining happens.”

Sirius moaned. “Oh, damn it. You’ve done it now.”

Remus butted in with, “Jinxed us for sure. 

Yusuke just scoffed at them and announced that they were a bunch of old women. He wandered off to start packing. 

Sirius rolled his eyes. Remus sighed.

“Never mind, my friends. He’s young yet. He’ll learn. I trust that you’ll keep him from getting his fool self killed.” Miyamoto Musashi actually patted Sirius on the shoulder.

Sirius and Remus both promised that they’d do their best. 

“That’s all I can ask.” Musashi dismissed the whole problem from his mind. After all, one of the things that made him great was his ability to delegate, and to know who to delegate to.

Sirius and Remus put their heads together and began planning.

 

<><><><>.

Tatami mats are approximately 75” x 38”

*I couldn’t resist keeping this beta note. 

(Why am I imagining a Bugs Bunny-esq scenario where he pauses mid fight to start jerking things out of mallet space to find whatever weapon he's actually looking for while his opponent stands there sort of stunned stupid as all this crap keeps flying out of nowhere?)


	28. Chapter 28

Betaed by Jake and Jordre.

 

Yusuke sighed heavily. “I don’t see why I have to take the train this year. I folded in before.” He was decidedly sulky. He’d even put off packing until the last minute.

Sirius was of the opinion that he’d not had enough time with his family; the Korean problem had eaten into family time badly. “I know. But Dumbledore insisted, and you don’t want to draw his attention so early. Besides, your father said,” and that was the end of it as far as everyone was concerned. 

Yusuke nodded. “I know, but still ...” He huffed his irritation, pulled a cigarette out of his now-clean mallet space and began to smoke furiously.

Remus was against trying to placate Yusuke; it didn’t work and usually annoyed the hell out of him. He just gave one of those rather feral smiles that startled people he knew. “Well, look at it this way. You have been granted the privilege of total self-study. That means that you don’t have to attend any class, just turn in the work. I’d suggest that you attend practicals and let the lectures go. Miss Granger will have a fit.”

Yusuke waved his cigarette, leaving behind a distinct scent of cloves. “She’ll have a tizzy, no matter what. I don’t care. This is ridiculous. The Ministry of Magic has much to answer for. I’m inclined to press the issue.”

Sirius smiled; it was just as nasty as Remus’. “Leave it up to Musashi-sama. I believe he has a poisoned pen up his sleeve. The ICW is not inclined to interfere, just yet, but if the Ministry keeps up their stupidity, there’s going to be trouble.”

Yusuke sighed. “Ok, ok. Don’t have a fit; I’ll be good.” 

Sirius smirked then got a rather shifty-eyed look. “Now who the hell said ‘be good’? It surely wasn’t me. I believe your father said, and I quote, ‘Do not bring shame upon us. Do not get caught doing anything Dumbledore or the Ministry would disapprove of.’ Didn’t say a damn thing about not doing anything. Just said, Do not get caught.” He held up a finger then tapped his nose like Dumbledore did when he was trying to look wise.

Yusuke brightened. “So he did.” 

Remus took up the challenge and demanded, “So ... who’s your first victim?”

“Um ... not sure. Really, I think it depends on who pisses me off first.”

Sirius glanced at Remus and they said, together, “Draco! Bread and butter.”

This got them a snort, then a blank look. “Bread and butter? What does that have to do with anything?” 

That comment brought about a ten minute lecture on British superstitions which left them all laughing.

The packing was summarily finished and they folded to King’s Cross Station with plenty of time to get on the train.

Sirius strode through the station as if he owned it, with Remus at his side. Yusuke followed behind them, surrounded by Yakuza in their Savile Row suits and Gargoyle sunglasses. He wore the same garb as the elder Yakuza, only it cost three times what theirs did. The main group was followed by more junior members of the clan. The junior men carried all the luggage and presented another sneering front, scowling at anyone who tried to break the ‘square’ and sending them scurrying away. 

Yusuke settled in a compartment, waving a hand to enlarge it. He knew that Hermione and Neville would join him and he didn’t want Sirius or Remus to be crowded. They were going to travel by the Express to Ken No Ie, where they would stay.

. . . . . . . . .

Hermione sighed; she hated leaving her parents on this side of the barrier, but, as muggles, they couldn’t get through. 

“Miss Hermione. You go? School? Yes?” The yakuza knew the young woman and liked her.

Hermione smiled at him and nodded. “Hai. I am.” She made introductions in proper Japanese, then English. 

Dan nodded while Emma made a creditable bow. They exchanged pleasantries as they made their way to Platform 9 3/4. 

When they got there, Hermione turned to say good bye to her parents. “Well, this is it. Drive carefully going back home.”

Bright black eyes flicked from Father to Daughter. “You not go in?”

Dan shook his head. “We aren’t magical so we can’t get back out again. We always leave her at the wall. Besides, I really don’t need to deal with purebloods. They make my teeth itch.”

“Ah! Yes. Not good people. You don’t worry now. I take.” He slapped his chest with the palm of his hand. 

Hermione smiled. “Oh, thank you. That would be very nice of you.”

It took mere moments for the man to summon up a few of his cohorts. They formed up around Hermione, much to her parents' amusement, and they were through the barrier in seconds, Hermione’s last good-bye echoing oddly. 

Hermione was glad of the ten or so gaki who surrounded her as soon as she got through the barrier. The platform was crammed with people, milling about, shouting at each other or standing in clumps, jabbering. She sighed. “This is going to take some doing.”

“No doing. We go.” The gaki was well aware that most British magicals were idiots with no manners, so he didn’t see any reason to waste his manners on them. “Push.” And push they did.

The whole group started for the train, making room to pass by simply pushing anyone in their way aside. They ignored the complaints with regal disdain―they were Yakuza after all.

Hermione found that she didn’t mind in the least. In past years, she’d been the one to be pushed and shoved. The Yakuza weren’t hurting anyone, so she decided that she considered it ‘turnabout’s fair play.’ 

She soon found herself seated in the compartment Yusuke had chosen, fortified with a cup of tea. Yusuke dismissed her escort with a nod and a ‘well done’. Sirius pulled a small book out of his pocket and wrote down their names, easily gotten by standing by the door and asking.

Hermione sighed. “Oh, my. What a crowd. And, pureblood does not mean well mannered.” She glanced around. “What did I do with my trunk? Blast! If I’ve forgotten it...”

Remus shook his head, fending off a rant. “I sent it to the baggage car. You don’t need anything from it, do you?”

“No. I just didn’t want it to be left on the platform. You know how the baggage handlers are.” Hermione dumped her bag on the seat beside her and fished around in it for a moment. “Mum made fudge.” Said fudge was triumphantly produced and placed on a drop-down table. “There! Help yourselves.”

<><><><>.

Neville Longbottom was a bit irritated. He didn’t show it but his Gran knew anyway.

“Neville, boy. What is wrong with you?” She’d finally learned to stifle her irritation. Everything irritated her since her son and daughter-in-law had been hospitalized, but she was realizing that taking it out on Neville wasn’t good.

Neville glanced around. “Don’t know, back of my neck is crawling.” Neville had finally realized that he really, really hated crowds. “Probably just the crowd ... but I feel like someone is watching me. I don’t like it.”

Augusta nodded once which sent the vulture on her hat to quivering. “Well, I don’t much like this sort of rowdy crowd either. No manners at all. Come along, let’s get you on the train.”

“Alright. I’m coming. I just hope Yusuke has a good compartment, I really don’t feel like sitting with the hoi-polloi.”

“Like young Mr. Malfoy?” 

Neville kept his eyes moving over the crowd while he nodded. “Yes, Gran, Malfoy. I don’t know what he’s been doing all summer. He’s been living in the Dower House, that’s all I could find out. He has access to an allowance. How much? No idea. I’m sure he’s in the River Tick by now.”

Augusta considered this for a moment then allowed, “Maybe not. It depends on whether he’s been maintaining the residence or not. If he has, it is quite possible that he’s in financial trouble. But, perhaps not.” She dodged a heavy-set man who was paying no attention to where he was going. “Well, excuse you!”

Neville was considering taking exception until a pat on the arm drew his attention back to his grandmother. He followed her without complaint, happy that they had an understanding now and were getting along well, since both of them now compromised, instead of arguing.

“Gran, I can go the rest of the way by myself. You don’t need to fight the plebs.” Neville gave a rather dirty woman an ugly look. She was way too close for his peace of mind― pickpockets tended to work the platform heavily on Hogwarts Day. The woman goggled at him for a moment then melted into the crowd.

“Well, here we are, Neville. Give the man your trunk.” Augusta nodded to a luggage handler who came over to take Neville’s trunk.

Neville obediently pulled it out of his pocket, enlarged it and turned it over. “There you go. Thank you.”

The handler plopped the huge trunk on a dolly and trundled away with it.

Augusta fussed with Neville’s hair and robes for a moment then said, “Well, enough of this. Off you go. Have a good year.”

“Ok, Gran. See that the elves come to me with any greenhouse questions. Dumbledore won’t cause a fuss.” His rather evil smile made Augusta smile back.

They’d had a bit of a do about communication over the summer, and Augusta had dropped a word in a few ears. Dumbledore was now forbidden to interfere in communications between Neville and his business, or Yusuke and his business. She’d seen to that as well, just because she felt like tweaking Fudge’s nose. Her communication with Yusuke’s father had been interesting, and informative. 

Neville kissed Augusta on the cheek and clambered aboard the train. It didn’t take him long to find the compartment Yusuke occupied; a waka standing outside the door was a dead giveaway.

The waka opened the sliding door, just as he would a shoji, and bowed Neville inside.

Neville flopped down on one of the seats and sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to return. I have a bad feeling about this year.”

Yusuke blinked. “Really? Sosososo. Tell me.”

Neville just shrugged. “I don’t know. The back of my neck is ... the hair is standing up, or it itches, or something.”

Hermione eyed Neville for a moment then snarked, “So, you just have a feeling. All feeling and things.”

Yusuke just frowned at her. “You acquired a bad habit over the summer. Pray break it now.”

Hermione shrugged irritably. “Well, it’s not like he’s a seer or anything.”

Neville just snarked back. “It does run in the family. My Grandmother on the other side, the one Voldewhatsit killed, was a seer. Minor, it’s true, but she could find things and her ‘feelings’, or premonitions, turned out right more often than not. So ... stuff it.”

Hermione rubbed her forehead, then apologized. “Neville, I’m sorry. I’ve just ... it’s not a headache, but ...” she trailed off, not being able to explain her irritation beyond that.

Yusuke glanced around the compartment, then shrugged. “I’m not happy either. So, we’re just going to have to brace ourselves for something.”

Hermione was miffed with herself. Her summer had been one of aggravation, except for the time she’d spent in Japan. Her usual set of tormentors had been joined by their boyfriends. She’d managed to hold her own, verbally, and they’d not attacked her physically. Although she was fairly sure that she would manage, as Yusuke said, ‘A bite, even if they get lunch.’ Now she was taking it out on Neville and Yusuke. She reminded herself to do better.

“I think you’re right. Sorry again, Neville. Bad summer. And not your fault. I’ll do better.” She then stuck her nose in a book.

Yusuke glanced at Sirius, who just nodded, made a note and leaned back to sleep until they got to Hogsmeade. Remus joined him.

<><><><>.

Draco had actually managed to cope fairly well with his new life. He’d written to his godfather, Severus Snape, who had written back with detailed instructions on how to deal. He’d been astonished to find that he was able to do what was needed. It irked him that he had to deal with servants, house elves and other low sorts, but he’d done it.

The house was small by Malfoy standards but he’d found that he enjoyed not having to hike from one end of a huge house to the other, just to eat breakfast. And the library was excellent, in fact, it was better than the main Malfoy library, as it had more useful books in it. The main library in the manor was full of hexed, cursed and otherwise unattainable books. So he finished his homework without the annoyance of having to report to his father, deal with extended banquets and balls, and soothe his mother’s nerves. 

He also listened to Snape’s advice about his attitude. He listened, he just didn’t do anything about it, which is what led to him doing something rather foolish.

<><><><>.

The corridor door opened with a bang, causing everyone to focus on the door. Draco Malfoy was outlined there. His dramatic pose made Hermione sigh. Yusuke looked bored while Neville looked interested. Sirius whispered to Remus, “I can’t believe I’m actually related to that moron. Over-dramatic little prat.”

Remus, well aware of the Black family tree, nodded then replied, “I swear, that tree needs a bit of pruning.”

“I’m not going to do it. I really don’t care what Cousin Narcissa gets up to. As long as she and that Death Eater husband of hers stay out of things, I’m happy.” Sirius snagged Yusuke’s smoke, got a half-hearted smack for his troubles and subsided to finish the smoke.

Draco, ignoring the by-play, announced, “I have come to tell you that, this year, all bets are off. I’m going to destroy you.” He smirked, then continued, “And your muggle whore and that squib as well.”

Yusuke started to stand up but Hermione patted him on the hand. “Don’t bother. We both know who’s a whore and who isn’t. I’m not the one kissing Voldiwhatsit’s feet, or something else. Yes?”

Neville choked on his tea, turned pink in the face then started to snicker. Sirius blew smoke in Draco’s face and Remus got between him and Yusuke.

“You should leave now.” Remus put a bit of gold into his eyes.

Draco smirked, “And I know what you are, freak.”

Yusuke blinked then actually giggled. When he spoke his tone was one of mocking amazement. “So, you know what he is and you have balls enough to get in his face? Nani?”

Neville backed Remus easily, eyed Draco for a long, tense second then allowed, “No, he doesn’t have the balls. He’s just that stupid.”

Infuriated at their reactions, Draco took a swing at Neville over Remus’ shoulder. Remus stepped up but Neville beat him to it. He dodged the punch and grabbed Draco’s extended wrist, cramped it over, causing Draco to yelp, and shoved him out the door.

“Shut the door, will you, Remus?” Neville brushed imaginary dust off his robes and sat back down.

Remus glanced up then down the hall, looking for the waka, then shut the door. “Wonder where that waka went.”

Sirius shook his head, “Don’t know, but he’d better stay there. I’ll have his head.”

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose. “Don’t want his head, or even a finger, but a big bite out of his ass wouldn’t go amiss.”

Sirius nodded, “Got it, No Wakai Omo.”

And with that, they settled down to endure the rest of the long ride to Hogsmeade Station. 

Sirius spent time questioning Yusuke about the Korean situation, as he called it. Remus interjected questions from time to time. 

Hermione ignored the whole thing, while Neville hung on every word.

Sirius passed tea then asked, “Ok, I get all that but the last question I want to ask is ... how the hell did you get all those men at once?”

Yusuke settled back with his cup. “It’s a technique I developed from a description in a manga called Ruroni Kenshin.” 

Hermione perked up, but questioned, “Wasn’t that an anime?”

“It was both. I couldn’t figure out anything much from the films. So I used the manga description.” Yusuke handed his cup back to Sirius. “More tea, please.”

The tea provided, Yusuke explained how he'd used the Ryū bōseki kōgeki no, or Dragon spinning offense, to behead all the senior members. 

Neville blinked for a moment then asked, “So, you just ... made it up?”

“No, I read about it, then developed it in real life. It wasn’t easy either.” Yusuke changed the subject. “What idiocy do you think Dumbledore has thought up for this year?”

Hermione sighed. “Who knows? I really think the old goat has gone bonkers.” She closed her book and put it away. “We’ll find out at the Welcoming Banquet, I’m sure.”

Sirius opined that the old man was still sly.

Neville nodded. “Yes, he is that. But sly isn’t wise. I just hope the ICW and Wizengamot keep him occupied and out of our hair.”

Hermione snorted. “No hope of that. He might be distracted enough not to be a real problem.”

Remus nodded wearily. “We can only hope.”

The conversation was ended by the announcement that they were arriving in the station in five minutes. 

They waited for the scramble to clear, Yusuke smoking furiously. Sirius eyed him askance, Yusuke didn’t smoke like that unless he was upset, or thinking. 

Remus called, “Sirius, let’s get going. The kids are mostly in the carriages and the road is clear.”

Sirius ambled off, calling over his shoulder. “Don’t blow your top, Yusuke-kun. You’ll know soon enough.”

Yusuke just blew smoke into the clear night air.

Hermione, on the other hand, grumbled to Neville. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

They caught one of the last carriages and scrambled in, settling just before the thing started off. 

<><><><>.  
The arrival at Hogwarts was the usual madness; students ran in every direction, chattering loudly with their newly joined friends. Yusuke and his companions looked on with 7th year disdain. The rest of the 7th years seemed to agree as they mostly stood on the edges of the courtyard, watching. 

It took a bit of time for everyone to get into the Great Hall and settled down. Yusuke listened with polite disinterest as Dumbledore babbled on about the sorting and the special surprise they were in store for.

They endured the sorting. One poor girl burst into tears under the hat and had to be led away, crying that she wasn’t going into Slytherin, no matter what the hat said. She emerged from the teachers' lounge behind the high table at the end of the sorting and was promptly sorted into Hufflepuff. That ended the sorting. 

Dumbledore then announced that they would now have their banquet. “Please, eat. Refresh yourselves.” he waved a hand in a sweeping gesture, signaling the serving elves to bring the food up to the tables. The food appeared and Dumbledore settled in his chair with Headmistress McGonagall at his left. 

Everyone dug into the platters and bowls. The food was just as good as ever, but many students, and some staff, had disgruntled looks. How could they enjoy their food when the suspense was so heavy you could smell it? 

Yusuke muttered to Neville, “Ron’s the only one at this table that doesn’t seem to give a shit. What is wrong with that old baka?”

Neville didn’t bother to keep his voice down. “He enjoys knowing things that no one else does and he enjoys rubbing our noses in that fact. Here.” He shoved a plate of noodles in Yusuke’s direction. “Eat.”

Yusuke took a serving and started to eat. He caught sight of Ron out of the corner of his eye. The boy was making the usual pig of himself. Yusuke caught his eye. Ron gulped at the fierce expression and slowed down. 

Hermione caught sight of the by-play and elbowed Ron in the short ribs. “Chew with your mouth closed. If you can’t close it, swallow and don’t put so much food in it. If you don’t watch out, Yusuke will school you. You really don’t want that. Right?”

Ron nodded, gulped down what he had in his mouth and slowed down. Fred and George noticed but just smirked at Yusuke. They had tried, their Mother had tried, even Charlie and Bill had. No one had been able to make a dent in Ron’s bad table manners. 

Fred whispered, just loud enough for Ron to hear, “I hope schooling doesn’t include any Japanese tortures.” Ron paled, George just nodded solemnly and replied, “Me too. He might be a pig and a prat but he is our brother.”

Hermione and Yusuke both hid smirks behind their teacups. 

When the meal was finished, Dumbledore stood up one last time and made his ‘great’ announcement.

“Well, now that we are all well fed and watered, I will tell you all my wonderful news. I have worked hard for a whole year to bring the greatest magical event in centuries to our own humble school. We will be hosts to the ... Tri-Wizard Tournament!” He looked out with benign pleasure, hoping for ― something.

What he got was a sea of blank looks. He decided to reserve his explanation of that for a bit later. “Because of this history-making event, there will be no Quidditch this year.” The groans that met this announcement were heartfelt by all the students. “Now, now. None of that, thank you.” He went on to explain that the field would be needed for one of the events and preparations had to be made. He also explained that only students 16 or older were eligible. Almost everyone sort of ignored him; someone would give them an understandable explanation later.

He finished by saying, “Now, everyone, off to bed. Except for Fred and George Weasley. You two graduated, so I’m not sure what you’re doing here. Go home.”

Yusuke cracked up, while Hermione just smirked at the twins. “Pay.” Yusuke watched as Fred handed Hermione a small purse. She tucked it away in her robes and, taking Neville’s offered arm, went away.

Dean Thomas demanded, “What was that about?”

Yusuke snickered, “They bet me that no one would notice them at the banquet. No one would realize that they had graduated. I bet that students wouldn’t notice, or if they did, they wouldn’t say anything. But Dumbledore would notice and throw them out. Hermione agreed. Now, I have to go collect my bet.” he headed for the twins, picking a cigarette out of thin air as he went.

He found the two waiting for him in the entry hall, accompanied by Snape. 

Yusuke smiled at the professor in a way that made him pale a bit, but he didn’t leave. This earned him a nod and a scant hint of a smile.

“Well, so. Pay up.” Yusuke held out his hand.

George took a knut out of his pocket and flipped it into the air. Yusuke plucked it out of its spin and tucked it away. “Thank you. Our deal still hold?”

Fred nodded. “It does. You’ll get your first rents on the quarter. And we’ll supply you with the promised goods.”

“Excellent. You’d better get out of here before Dumbledore decides to keep you.” Yusuke watched with some amusement as they gave him mock-horrified looks and scurried out.

Snape gave Yusuke a dour look and said, “Supplies? Do I want to ask?”

“No, you do not.” Yusuke offered him a cigarette, which he took. “I will say that you’d better keep your snakes in order this year.”

“And if I do not?” Snape wasn’t about to antagonize Yusuke this early in the year, it promised to be hard enough as it was.

“I’ll eat them alive. You don’t seem to understand the concept of subtlety very well. And the bully mark will come back.” Yusuke frowned at the floor.

“I understand subtlety very well. But I will admit that most of Slytherin does not. And Dumbledore seems determined to thwart my attempts to teach them at every turn.” Snape frowned at his cigarette.

“I see. He seems to think that allowing them to get away with whatever they please will, somehow, teach them ... something.” 

“He does. I would leave, but he ... has ...” Snape trailed off, realizing that he was saying way too much.

“I see. Well, so.” Yusuke knew that Snape was not saying Dumbledore had blackmail on him, the implication was enough. This would go into the next letters to both Sirius and Remus, and Musashi-sama. It needed looking into.

He vanished his butt and ambled off, announcing, “I go bed now. Oyasuminasai.”

Snape couldn’t have helped his snarky remark if he’d died for it. “I would think that, after all the time you spend here, you’d learn English.”

Yusuke turned and smiled, that sweet, sly, evil smile that made people sweat. “And why would I want to do that? I don’t like it here. I don’t intend to stay after my job is done. So, why would I wish to waste my time? What rubs off, rubs off. Otherwise, you’d best not waste your time on it.” He turned and started up the stairs.

Snape sighed and rubbed his forehead. This was not going to turn out well at all. He wished Dumbledore would just leave the boy alone to do whatever it was he was going to do. He fished in his sleeve for a headache potion, took it and went to his own bed, the back of his neck crawling. Something bad was going to happen.

<><><><>.

Yusuke woke the next morning, pleased that he’d managed to get Hermione up the stairs to the girl’s dorms before she could begin her next round of questions. He liked her, but he was still working on making her think before she blurted. It was hard going.

He knew why she was that way. She was incredibly intelligent, full of curiosity and had absolutely no common sense filters at all. He found it amusing, most of the time. When he found it irritating, he told her so as kindly as he could. She was amazingly grateful. It worried him.

He got himself together easily enough. This year he’d opted to forego his traveling trunk, as the juku was more than sufficient for his needs. Instead, he’d brought a trunk that converted into a walk-in closet. The elves had put it at the foot of his bed so he waved one hand, levitated it into the corner he’d used last year and opened it.

It opened into a doorway which Yusuke pushed flat against the wall. This left plenty of room for maneuvering. He found the clothing he wanted and ambled into the showers.

He was quickly ready for the day and braced for his first confrontation with Hermione.

He was pleasantly surprised when Hermione just said, “I want to congratulate you. You’ve forced Dumbledore to do something he should have done years ago. We’re now a progressive school.” she smirked at him happily. “I’m on fast track, no more lectures.” She hitched her book bag up on her shoulder. “Just attend the practicals and pass the tests. That gives me simply ages for my own researches.”

Yusuke gave her a sweeping bow. “Then I am happy as well. Neville?”

Neville, who had been watching the by-play with some amusement, just nodded. “Me too. I’m dropping several classes and picking up some outside study with Professor Sprout. I’m not interested in anything not necessary to run my greenhouses. And I still have to pick up estate management and financial stuff ... like bookkeeping. Why don’t they teach useful stuff like that here?”

Yusuke shrugged, “They’re idiots?”

Surprisingly, Seamus Finnegan answered that. “Mam said it was a holdover from when fathers taught their sons all they needed to know to carry on themselves. Said it was tradition, but now most purebloods hire estate managers from ...” he made air quotes with his fingers, 'lower classes'. As they’re too inbred to figure it out themselves anymore.”

Yusuke considered this for a moment then allowed, “You’re probably right. My Father would whip me raw if my books were anything but exactly balanced. Come. Breakfast.”

He didn’t catch Hermione’s horrified expression.

After breakfast was eaten, Dumbledore made another announcement. “Due to the press of other obligations, I will not be at Hogwarts for most of this term. Madam McGonagall will be Acting Headmistress, standing in my stead. I will, however, preside over the Greeting Banquet for the other two schools participating in the Tournament. Thank you.” And with that, he returned to his tea and toast. He never noticed Headmistress McGonagall’s sour expression, nor the expressions on the faces of most of the faculty. It seemed that this was their first inkling of the new arrangements.

So it fell to Headmistress McGonagall to make all the arrangements for housing forty students from the two guest schools, as well as getting them all sorted into proper classes and making sure that there was enough of everything, now that 40 students had been added to the rolls. She scowled; she already felt a headache coming on.

Yusuke whispered, “I would never insult the So-Honbucho like that. He’d remove things I’m attached to. Is Dumbledore really that stupid ... or does he just not care?”

Hermione squinted while she translated So-Honbucho to Chief of Operations. “Well ... I’m not sure. I really think he just doesn’t notice. He’s so busy that he never notices the mess he leaves behind for someone else to clean up.”

Neville shuddered. “I can’t imagine what might happen if I pulled that sort of stunt on Gran. Cold shoulder doesn’t begin to explain. Or else she’d just snark me to death. Really, Snape has nothing on Gran in a mood. And something like this would really put her in a bad one.”

Yusuke snorted, smoke curling out his nose, making him look like a dragon.

Hermione had given up, after researching, trying to get him to quit. He didn’t leave butts around, or ashes. And, evidently it was true: magicals didn’t get cancer. But she still hated the smell, especially the smell of those Kretek things.

“Maybe we could help her?” Hermione made the suggestion in a timid questioning tone.

“Maybe we could leave the adults to tend to their own business?” Yusuke was not in the mood to cater to Dumbledore or Hermione. He was more interested in attending the first class of the day, so he could hand in his notice that he would not be attending lectures, only practicals. He was sure Snape would have something to say about it. Not that he cared; if Snape wanted to get pissy, fine.

He was almost out the door when Dumbledore called, “Harry! Harry!” Yusuke ignored him. Another thing that annoyed him, almost to the point of hexing Dumbledore, was the headmaster's insistence on calling him by his hated English name. So he was ignoring it. If someone he liked made the mistake of calling him Harry, he’d politely correct them, the first time. 

Dumbledore realized that Harry was going to ignore him until he called him by that obnoxious Japanese babble he called a name. “Yusuke! I wish to speak with you.”

Yusuke turned, a scowl on his face. “Yes?” He had been warned not to be overly rude, but it was very difficult. He took his father’s warning to heart, though. He did not want difficulties this early in the year.

“I was hoping to have a quick chat with you. I do realize that you don’t want to start the year by being late to class so I’ll be quick. I was so hoping you’d enter your name in the Goblet of Fire to be a contestant in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.” He gave young Harry a hopeful look, eyes twinkling in a grandfatherly way.

“I will consider it. I will also seek the advice of my father, godfather and uncles.” He cast a quick spell, remembering to use a wand, for once. “I will be late. Good day.” He hurried off, grumbling under his breath about interfering old busybodies.

He wasn’t late to class, only because he’d found a permanent shortcut from the vestibule to the dungeons. 

Snape glowered at him for a moment then curled his lip at Yusuke’s innocent look. 

“Happy to have you in class, Miyamoto-san. Did you have a nice visit with Professor Dumbledore?” 

“No. He’s getting on my last nerve.” Yusuke put his bag down. “What are we covering today?”

“Review.” And with that, Snape began barking questions at students. He didn’t allow anyone to hold up their hand; he pointed at someone, then asked his question. If they answered correctly, he barked, “Yes!;” if they answered wrong, he sneered, “Idiot!” and snapped out another question. 

Only one person answered two questions incorrectly. They were told to gather up their things and get out, and not come back. 

“I have no patience with that sort of idiot. Now. I know that several of you are on self-study. That is fine. There’s no reason for me to waste my time in lectures at this level. If you can’t read a book, do research and present an intelligible report on your findings, you’re in over your heads. The labs will be open to you from 7am to curfew. If you are working on something that must be tended, arrangements will be made. If I find anyone necking, snogging or otherwise taking advantage, you’ll be out of class immediately. Understood?” He glowered around at the few 7th years; various nods and ‘Yes, Sir’s’ convinced him that they did understand. “Dismissed. Miyamoto-san, a moment, if you please.”

Yusuke nodded to Neville and Hermione. “Go. I’ll catch up.” he turned to Snape. “Snape-Kyōju?”

Snape decided to just plunge in. “Thank you for the box I received over break. It was most useful.”

“You are welcome. I knew that basilisk ingredients might lead to some interesting discoveries. Somewhat like twelve uses for dragon blood ... only not so...” he waved a hand. “My English is not up to it. That kachi ga yawamiso Ojiisan Agohigi brags so much about them but what are they? Cauldron cleaner? I can do better with a handful of sand.” Yusuke trailed off in disgust. The uses for dragon blood were just plain silly. There were only three or four that were actually something to talk about. 

Snape shook his head. “What has that old fool done now?”

“He was having me hexed to accept gaijin ways and my English name. He also had an honesty hex put on me. Not good. Hijō ni warui. Very bad. It could have gotten me in a lot of trouble.” Yusuke scowled furiously.

Snape just rubbed his forehead. “That man. Well, I just wanted to say thank you.”

“You are very welcome. I must go.” Yusuke smiled rather smugly. “I managed to arrange my schedule so that I have lecture today and Wed, and practicals every morning thereafter. Very convenient. Excuse me.”

They bowed to each other and Yusuke left, leaving Snape satisfied that they had an understanding. Which they did. He, Snape, would leave Yusuke to his own devices and Yusuke would be discreet.

<><><><>.

Neville looked up from his book and demanded, “Well?” 

Hermione just bit her lip.

“It went well. He’ll stay safely out of things.” Yusuke produced one of his ever-present cigarettes and started to smoke. Neville relieved him of it and nodded his thanks. Yusuke got another, offered it to Hermione, then started smoking it when she shook her head.

Neville blinked when a sudden thought hit him. “Oh, who’s Defense teacher? Dumbledore didn’t say.”

Hermione glanced at her planner. “I think it’s some retired auror.”

Yusuke sighed. “Ah, shimata! This might not be good.”

Hermione shook her head. “Don’t know. I’ve been listening to the talk. Seems he’s a bit ... unorthodox. Also ... he’s a teacher now and he’s supposed to be ... neutral.”

Yusuke bowed her through the door, saying, “We’ll see.”

<><><><>.

Alastor Moody wondered exactly what he’d gotten into, but strange men had been hanging around his cottage. He’d decided to break his routine entirely and come to Hogwarts, safest place in Britain, or so Dumbledore claimed. And he wanted a good look at that young Yakuza. Anyone who could kill with a sword and stay that calm, he wanted a good handle on.

Urbane described Yusuke to a T, when he wanted to be. Yakuza tough also could be used. In this case, he was just waiting to see which coat to put on.

Professor Moody looked Yusuke right in the eye. “Well? Sit down.” Yusuke sat. Moody looked the class over. “Well, I’m your new Defense professor. You will call me Professor Moody. Not Mr. Not Alastor. And most certainly not Mad-eye. Got me? He glowered around.

Everyone nodded their heads. This did not suit the retired, ex-head trainer, ex-Auror so he barked, “I can’t hear your heads rattle. You will answer my questions with a proper answer. Like ‘Yes, Sir.’ Clear?”

The entire class sat with stunned expressions except for Hermione and Yusuke. Hermione’s clear voiced, ‘Yes, Sir.’ was followed by Yusuke’s barked, “Osu!” The rest of the class followed in a half-hearted fashion that made Moody bark, “I can’t hear you!” It took him two more tries to get them to reply properly. 

“Well, I can see that I’ve got a proper bunch of coconuts with you lot. The only ones out of all of you who’ve got any sense at all are Granger, Potter and Longbottom.” Mad-eye proved his name as his eye whizzed around in its socket, seeming to look everywhere at once. 

Yusuke cleared his throat. Professor Moody turned to look at him, so Yusuke said, “Yes, I prefer to use my Japanese name.”

Now Moody had done his homework after the mess with the vanishing cabinet last year, so he was well aware that Miyamoto Yusuke might be 17 as of this summer but he was no child. He’d been Miyamoto Musashi’s enforcer since he’d turned 15. He knew what skills the boy had and he wasn’t about to mess with someone who had at least 8 proven kills to his name. He nodded, saying, “You pick your name, I’ll call you by it.”

“Miyamoto Yusuke.” Yusuke settled elegantly in his chosen seat.

He always chose a seat near the middle of the room, preferably on the middle aisle. Hermione sat next to him with Neville on her other side. 

Moody gave a short lecture on the three Unforgivables, told them that Dumbledore had refused him permission to demonstrate, but he was going to teach them the counters. 

Yusuke snorted. 

“Something, Mr Miyamoto?” Professor Moody eyed him with some interest.

“I already know the only counters.” Yusuke looked bored.

“And they are?”

“Duck.”

Moody nodded. “Exactly.” He glared around the room. “WELL! Take notes! Don’t just sit there like lumps.” 

Pens quickly scratched against parchment as the class took what notes they could. Most of them had no idea that Moody and Yusuke were actually right. 

“Now, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger and Mr Miyamoto; all three of you will not be attending lecture, is that right?” Hermione nodded. “So, I have only one more thing to say to the whole class before you are dismissed. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” The whole class, except Yusuke, jumped in their seats. “Good. Good. Those of you on self-study, remember that I will be watching you. Now, get out.” He waved one hand, shooing them out.

Hermione stuffed her books into her bag with a huff. “Well, I ... he’s ...”

“Right, you know. Read Horrible Hexes and Their Correct Counters.” Neville looked at her for a moment. “Auror level book. Dad’s.”

Moody nodded to him. “Longbottom, a moment.”

Yusuke moved to back him up, while Hermione cleared the desks and got out of the way.

“Sir?” Neville was inclined to trust the old Auror, he wasn’t the sort to pull stupid pranks.

“You got any more of your Da’s books?” 

“I do. Gran gave them all to me this summer.” Neville kept his eyes on Moody.

“Share ‘em with your friends.” Moody turned his back making Yusuke scowl. Moody turned back around to say, “I can actually see through the back of my head. Eyes in the back of it, sort of. Now scat.”

They scatted, happily going to their juku to get organized for the year.

.

AN

Moody isn’t Barty Crouch Jr. in this story. It’s been done to death. I think it would be easier for him to take over someone else. So I chose Durmstrang’s own Igor Karkaroff. For those of you who object, don’t.


	29. Chapter 29

Betaed by Jake and Jordre  
.

Hermione happily spent her free time researching the Tri-Wizard Tournament. What she found, she didn’t like. It seemed that the last time it had been held, all three of the contestants had died in the second trial. It had been quietly discontinued some 300 years ago. 

Now, Dumbledore, in his infinite wisdom, had managed to convince the two other contestant schools to hold it again. Hermione was not happy and she made that very plain. The juku reverberated with her harangue. Professor McGonagall stuck her head in the door to see what all the shouting was about.

She listened for a few moments then just shut the door and walked away. She wasn’t best pleased either. She had 40 students and an undisclosed number of teachers and escorts to plan for. She walked away, planning. She wondered if anyone would actually miss Dumbledore if something should happen to him, then dismissed the thought―someone would notice, sooner or later. She grumbled, “Owd blatherskite.”

Yusuke listened with some amusement while Hermione forbade him to participate in this ‘insanity’. He was inclined to obey her as he wasn’t that interested in fame; he had a fortune and plenty of face. He allowed, “I have written to Father and my brothers. Also, I let Remusu-Aniki and Shiriusu-oji know. I’m waiting on opinions from them before I reach a final decision.”

Hermione huffed a bit over the fact that Yusuke wouldn’t make a final decision on her advice but was well aware that he wouldn’t take advice from just one person over anything this important. “Well, ok. But I don’t like it. What’s that old fool up to now?” 

Neville nodded. “Exactly. That’s what I’d like to know too. He’s always up to something. Usually something not that good for someone.” He scowled at a pile of books on his desk then reached out for one, finishing, “We’ll find out in the worst possible way, at the worst possible time. I’ve already got an essay for Herbology, so I’d better get to it. It’s due on Wed.” He stuck his nose in his book.

Hermione added, “I’ve got several essays for different classes. It seems that, since we’re on self-study, that means essays up the wazoo.” She began to read her own book, note-taking materials at the ready.

Yusuke had been amused to find that all the muggle-born and several wizard-born had brought spiral note books, loose leaf binders and mechanical pencils to Hogwarts. His refusal to use parchment and quill for note-taking had spread like wildfire. Everyone still had to turn in essays on parchment rolls, written with quill or steel nib dip pen, but even that was not as onerous as it used to be. Writing everything out on a yellow legal pad in pencil then copying it was now so common as to be ignored by everyone. Even the Purebloods in Slytherin were doing it.

He couldn’t help the slight smile at the sight of a pureblood like Neville using a ballpoint pen to take notes on a yellow legal pad. Hermione, on the other hand actually took her notes in shorthand on a steno pad. He wondered idly if it was worth it for him to learn shorthand; since it was syllabic, it would work for Japanese. He dismissed that thought, realizing that he had several secretaries so he didn’t need it.

Yusuke quickly finished his reading, glad that Masa-san had found all his books in Japanese. Or had them translated. He wasn’t sure which and didn’t care.

They stayed in the juku, studying, until lunch time. When they made their appearance in the Great Hall, no one much paid any attention. McGonagall nodded to them, Snape pointedly turned his shoulder. Professor Flitwick smiled. The rest of the professors mostly ignored them, except for Moody ― he eyeballed all three of them, fixing them with a rather absentminded glower.

Hermione saw and whispered to Neville, “I wonder what we’ve done to make him look at us like that.”

Neville glanced at him then replied, “I don’t think we’ve done anything. I think his face is just stuck that way.” He sat down, grabbed a plate of rolls from under Ron’s groping hand and continued, “So, be careful what sort of expressions you use.”

Hermione opened her mouth then shut it. She knew when her leg was being pulled, mostly.

Ron mumbled around a mouthful of ― something, “Really great, having a real Auror as a professor. But Dad says he’s nuts.”

Yusuke eyed Ron for a moment then allowed, “Well, probably. But, I think he’s more sane than I am.”

Neville shook his head, scooped up a spoon of stew and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment then grumbled, “Now I have to put up with two insane instructors?”

Yusuke snorted. “No, just one. Me. We can skip most classes, if we want. All we really have to do is pass the mid-term and finals. We’re taking ... what you call? Lizards?”

Hermione sighed; in one way Yusuke was getting better, in another, worse. He remembered more, but only if he wanted to. Mostly, he didn’t want. She corrected him, “N.E.W.T.S.”

“Whatever. And, Dumbledore did say something about contestants being excused.”

Ron snorted, “Like most of us have a chance of being picked if you sign up.”

Hermione corrected him with a superior smirk. “Oh, it doesn’t make any difference who you are. All the contestants are chosen by the Goblet of Fire. A mystical artifact of Goblin creation. You can’t fix it, fool it or bribe it.”

Ron blinked then grumbled, “Well, you don’t have to be so darn ...”

Yusuke cut him off. “Shut up, Weasley. If you insult Hermione-chan, I will make you regret it. I’m sick of you, and most of your gumi, insulting her intelligence, looks, or anything else. Keep your mouth off her.” He got up and stormed off. He was losing patience with this whole process. The only reason he was still cooperating at all was because he liked the money the bounties provided... and, more importantly, his father wished it. 

He realized that he had no class, only a practical, which he already had mastered. He loved having Shiriusu-oji around, he knew Hogwarts' curriculum well and had tutored him so that he could already pass his NEWTS easily. He pondered the real reason his father wanted him here. They really didn’t need the money. He decided that one reason was that his inheritance was his, and Musashi-san hated being stolen from. That was what the Ministry of Magic of Britain was threatening to do. Plus the fact that Voldemort was going to do something stupid enough to attract all sorts of unwanted attention. He settled in his favorite position, seated on a bench behind a bush in the quad and smoked.

Hermione found him at once. “Yusuke?”

“Hai? Nani?” He scooted over to give her room to sit down.

“Arigataugozaimasu, Yusuke-san.”

“Sore wa nanimonai.” Yusuke shrugged. “He needs taking down, hard. He’s an idiot. It’s his sort that are going to expose the magical world in a bad way.”

“It’s not nothing. But you’re right. All the people who believe that muggles will never notice obliviating masses of people are going to trigger something really bad, sooner or later. I don’t get it.” Hermione worried at her lip.

“Stop that, you’ll make it bleed.” Yusuke poked her in the ribs. “I’ve seen it happen, exposing things, I mean. There was a massacre in Korea about ten years ago. That’s what happened there. Some idiot obliviated a bunch of people, trying to hide his habit of raping any girl that hit his fancy, then obliviating everyone. The police included. Bad. One of the prime rules is do not fuck with okami for no profit. Well, anyway, some katagi figured it all out and went to the ... I don’t know the word. The place where they lived.”

“Enclave?”

“Hai, that’s it. The katagi went there and burned them all in their sleep. They gassed them to put them to sleep then burned the enclave down around them. Only four or five people escaped, and that was because they were up. This is why, even in Japan, we hold to the statute of secrecy, just not so stringently.”

Hermione rubbed her forehead in irritation. “You’re such a shit.”

“A? Me?” The laughter in his voice made Hermione snort.

“Yes, you are. How the hell can you remember words like stringently and enclave but forget words like professor?” Hermione poked him in the side, making him laugh.

“Because it annoys people I wish to annoy.” He blew smoke over her head, just to make her squeak.

She obediently did exactly that, but sighed, then remarked, “This is nice. Just ... peaceful. You know? I just realized that a lot of magical people are just ... noisy. Always picking fights and throwing loud spells around. Maybe I’m just disenchanted?”

Yusuke shook his head. “It’s really only the British, I think. They’re all so full of themselves. The younger ones, at least. Ofukuro-sensei and her generation are better. They learned the advantages of not attracting attention to themselves. The tall stake gets pounded down.” Yusuke blew smoke away from them and into a slight breeze then watched as it dissipated.

“You’re right. I know, from experience, anyone who is different from expectations is going to be noticed. And not always in a good way.”

Yusuke patted Hermione on the shoulder. “I know that too. The thing is not to suffer in silence, but to make them suffer for their rudeness.”

Hermione nodded. “The Bully Sign. And the pranks.”

“Exactly. I think Malfoy Draco-kun needs a reminder. His two ... Teshta?”

“Minions. Subordinates.”

“Yes, Crabbe and Goyle are already showing a faint mark. Perhaps ...” He hummed softly. 

Hermione nodded. “I’d really like some sort of loud ... alarm. Like an air raid siren. That’d make the professors sit up and take notice at once. Now, all the students can do is try to defend themselves as best they can, then report it. Not that successful.”

Yusuke looked up sharply at a disturbance in the branches of their shelter. It was only Neville.

“You two are ... here. Eat.” He’d taken the time to pack plenty of food into a basket that he’d gotten that summer. “I swear, if it wasn’t for me, you’d go hungry half the time.”

Yusuke took the basket and began to take out all the plates, platters and bowls. “Yes, but eating with that mob of baka is bad for my digestion. Arigato, Neville-san.”

“Welcome. Hand me the butter, will you?” Neville just accepted the thanks as his due and filled his plate.

Neville had been wise enough to take a selection of English and Japanese dishes. Yusuke was, more and more, resistant to eating much of anything he termed ‘Gaijin’, claiming that its heavy greasiness upset his stomach. 

Yusuke took a selection of sushi and sashimi which he declared excellent. 

When they were finished eating, Hermione broke her chopsticks and vanished them.

Yusuke, who did something similar, asked, “Why did you do that?”

Hermione made a face. “I caught the busboy at the Chinese restaurant my parents like, hand-washing them. Ick. So, I just got into the habit.”

“I see. That isn’t sanitary.” He settled back with his cup of tea. “I wish Oyaji would write to me. Or Shiriusu-oji. I need to know what to do.”

Neville sighed, “I get an ugly feeling that, even if you don’t sign up, your name is going to come out of the ... whatsit.”

“Goblet of Fire.” Hermione frowned into her tea for a moment. “I think you’re right, Neville. There’s no way the Ministry is going to let an opportunity like this get away.”

Yusuke considered this from all sides. He was wiser than most his age and he was sure that the Ministry was going to mess with him. After all, how could they possibly pass up the chance to claim the boy-who-lived as their champion. But, if they did, it was going to cost them dearly. He wondered if they knew about the ‘hazardous duty’ clause in his contract yet. 

“Yusuke, you’ve got that look again. What are you up to?” Hermione smiled gleefully. She just loved it when he went all yakuza.

“Well, you know about hazardous duty, right?” She nodded. “And getting paid for it?” She nodded again. “Well, my contract with the ministry, negotiated by Oyaji, has one. It’s a bit on the costly side.” He smirked at Hermione, who was goggling at him in awe.

“Oh, man. That’s ... that’s ... you are evil. Truly evil. I love it.” Hermione reached into her mallet space for a tissue. She was laughing so hard her eyes were tearing.

Neville manned up. “I have no idea what is so funny. Hazardous duty? Explain.”

Hermione explained while Yusuke smoked. When she was done all Neville could say was, “I love your old man. He’s sharp as a tack. Wonder if he’d consider negotiating a few deals for House Longbottom?”

Yusuke waved a hand. “I’ll do it. I’m better than he is. I’ve got more patience.” He smirked when Hermione let out another soft snicker. “Well, I am.”

Hermione managed to look demure as she said, “Yes, I’m sure you are.”

Neville ignored them both as he quietly summoned a house elf to deal with the left-overs and his basket. He had one thing on his mind right now, so he decided to deal now. “Yusuke-sensei, when are we going to start training again?”

“Tomorrow. We have ... nothing important in the mornings anymore.” He glanced at Hermione then continued, “I’m planning on skipping as many classes as we can get away with. I have other things to take care of, and so do you.”

Hermione demanded, “And how do you expect to get an education if you keep skipping classes?”

Yusuke scowled at his cigarette for a moment. “Well. Frankly, you’re smarter than some of the professors.” Hermione scoffed at that. “Seriously. You could pass the ICW Proficiency tests, possibly even a Mastery or two. They’re much harder than the Ministry NEWTS. All the professors here, except for Snape-san, have only passed the British Ministry tests. So.”

Hermione looked startled. “Are you sure? No, sorry, of course you’re sure. But ... but ... Hogwarts is the best school in Britain. How ... when ...” she sputtered for a moment more while Neville and Yusuke watched her with some amusement.

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose to make her laugh, which she did, he then explained, “It is the best ... in Britain ... and I find that amazingly depressing. The British Ministry of Magic has been ... removing the harder bits for years. The purebloods can’t keep up. I don’t know exactly why and I don’t care. But, for years, Hogwarts has been a by-word for ... he waved a hand. “Oyaji did his research. I’m going to have the devil of a time catching up when I get home. I did a lot over the summer but I’m still behind. I might have done more, if I hadn’t had to work in the business. Never mind. I’m going to look at this as a working vacation from now on. So. Neville. Run in the morning, juku, eat, train. We’ll work up a schedule around the classes we both want to attend. The rest? We’ll get the assignments from someone, do them, hand them in and dare the professor to object.”

Neville nodded. “I’d really like to know how you expect to get Snape to agree to that.”

Yusuke narrowed his eyes, his expression frightening, “I’d like to see him not.”

Hermione pulled a book out of her bag and settled back to read, announcing, “If you’re going to threaten a professor, do not tell me about it. Plausible deniability.”

Neville demanded, “And what, exactly, is that?”

“If I don’t tell her, she can claim she didn’t know, because I didn’t tell her.” Yusuke looked inordinately pleased with this bit of circular reasoning.

Neville managed to look confused without looking blank. “Ok. Whatever.” he waved the whole thing away with a flick of his hand. “Hermione? Sorry to interrupt your reading but are you going to do schedules this year?”

“Yes. And self-study plans. If we keep to the schedule, we can take our NEWTS on time... or even early. Now, I need to read this for Ancient Runes and another for Potions. I wonder if we could manage Alchemy?” She mumbled off, pulled a planner out of her bag and started writing.

Yusuke gave Neville a look of disgust. “Now you’ve done it.”

“Sorry.” Neville didn’t look too sorry, more interested. “Alchemy? Really?”

“They don’t teach it in Britain anymore. But the International Board of Potioneers offers a Mastery in it. You have to be a Potion Master to take it.” Yusuke watched Hermione take note of that, writing something in the margin of her planner. 

“Yes, and I’ve wanted to for years, but Dumbledore prevents me.” Snape’s voice made Neville and Hermione jump. 

Yusuke looked at Snape for a moment. “And why, may I ask, would he do that?”

“I’m not entirely sure. He won’t explain beyond, ‘My dear boy, why on earth would you need that?’ and a lot of dissembling. However, that’s neither here nor there. I sought you out to tell you that you will come to the labs. Or I will give you a failing mark.” Snape smirked at Yusuke, just a bit.

“I’ll come when it’s necessary. If you introduce a potion I’m not familiar with, I’ll be there. If it’s something old and trite, you can forget it.” Yusuke stared at Snape. Snape stared back.

The battle of wills only lasted a few seconds but everyone knew who had won as Snape looked away first.

Yusuke thought about things for a few moments. “If you can tolerate Shiriusu-oji and Remusu-aniki, you might speak with them about some ... arrangement that will allow you to take that Mastery you covet. Dumbledore might have some leverage here, but not elsewhere. Remember ... Ingurando is not the center of the world. Nor is Nihon, I’ll admit. Think about it.”

Snape flushed at having to break stare first, but looked very interested in the rest of Yusuke’s comments. “I’ll think about it. but don’t get cocky, just because you’re ...” he shut up when Yusuke casually produced a knife from somewhere and began to clean his fingernails. “Never mind. Just don’t think to pull that sort of thing with Professor Moody.”

Yusuke shrugged, “I won’t. I don’t need to keep him in his place. He knows exactly where it is.” He glanced up, then over Snape’s shoulder.

Snape glanced over his shoulder to find Moody standing right there. “Damn it!”

Moody snorted, “Thought you was a duelist.” He dismissed Snape with another snort and turned to Yusuke. “Know how to use that?”

“I do. And more. Shall we walk?” Yusuke stood up, graceful as a cat, and walked toward Moody.

Moody nodded. “We shall.” He limped off with Yusuke by his side.

Yusuke smoked, offered a cigarette to Moody, and continued off around the edge of the quad. 

Moody took the cigarette, a sop to cordial relations, and took a drag. He coughed once then commented, “Damn it, trust you to smoke something that tastes like spices.” He took another drag and left the cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth.

Yusuke sneered at him, commented, “Lightweight,” and followed him under an archway that led through the wall and onto the green beside Hogwarts proper. 

Moody got right to the point. “I don’t know exactly what you’re up to, and I’m not that sure I care. If it’s illegal, don’t let me catch wind of it. I did some research on you and I like what I found out.”

Yusuke glanced at the ex-Auror out of the corner of his eye. “I see. I actually have a mandate from the Ministry ... and a contract. Negotiated by my father. Would you like to see it?”

Moody just held out his hand, took the parchment Yusuke produced and read it. He checked the seals and signatures on the bottom, then started to laugh. Yusuke waited patiently.

He finally pulled a red bandana from a pocket and dried his eyes, saying, “I haven’t been so amused in years. How the hell did your old man pull that one off?” He eyed Yusuke’s closed expression for a moment then decided, “Never mind, not my business. Now, on to the reason I wanted some privacy. Are you planning to put your name up?”

Yusuke didn’t ask what for, he knew. “I don’t know. I’ve asked advice from my Oyaji, my Ototo; as well as my advisors Shiriusu-oji and Remusu-aniki. I’m waiting for replies.”

Moody looked at Yusuke for a moment, the assessing gaze leaving the younger man unfazed. “So, you’re waiting on advice from yakuza and the last of the Marauders?”

Yusuke’s look was a warning that Moody took. “Yes, I am. Wanna make somethin’ of it?”

“No. Just ... find it amusing as hell that Dumbledore has no idea what he’s stepped into. Just don’t get irritated and kill the old fool. You’ll attract too much attention.”

“I see. You don’t like Dumbledore?” 

“I’m one of his oldest friends. That don’t mean I don’t know which side of my bread is buttered. He’s spread himself way too thin. Messes in things he has no business messing in. I like the old coot but ... my advice to you is ... keep him out of your business, he’s way too apt to ruin something by trying to salvage the unsalvageable. Got me?” Moody looked like he hated saying this, but Yusuke got the feeling he would do what was really needed, whether he liked it or not.

“Thank you. I do intend to keep him out of my business as best I can. But, if he causes me too much trouble, I’ll do what I must.” Yusuke wasn’t sure, yet, what he would do; his expression made this plain.

“I’ll warn you. Albus is the symbol of the Light. Don’t make a martyr where you don’t need to. Anything happens to him and it comes home to roost and whoever is going to be in a world of hurt.” Moody wasn’t sure he’d convinced the young Yakuza, but he had to try.

“I believe you’re right. I really don’t want to kill someone who means well, no matter that they don’t do well. I just need him out of my business.” Yusuke considered this for a moment. “I believe ... the ICW is looking into the Korean problem, yes?”

“Yes, they are. Why?” Moody was having a bit of trouble following Yusuke’s reasoning.

“If someone is a problem, there are times the problem can be displaced by a bigger problem, yes?”

“Yes.” Moody’s hesitant tone made Yusuke smile in a rather sly fashion.

“So. So. I’ll write to my father. Smoke?” Yusuke offered Moody another cigarette.

He refused, taking a nasty looking pipe out of a pocket and brandishing it. “I’ll smoke what I’m used to. We done?”

“I believe so.” Yusuke nodded. “Unless you wish to discuss why Neville and I will not attend lecture.”

“Don’t. It’ll bore you both to death. Miss Granger can give you notes. I’ll expect to see you at the practical until I’m sure you know what’s what. After that ... show up for tests.” Moody wasn’t about to fight over class attendance for sixth and seventh years. He didn’t care if they were there or not. If they failed, well, tough.

Yusuke smirked, “Just remember, you fail if you make more than one firstie cry in a day.”

“Twerp.” Moody’s insult was without heat.

“No, just practical. If they’re crying every time you turn around, they’re not learning anything. If you scare them too much, they cringe instead of ducking. See?” Yusuke glanced over at Moody’s face.

“Yeah, I do. And ... they’re younglings, not trainees. I do take your point. Don’t let it go to your head.”

Yusuke snorted, “No, I won’t. I will warn you that Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger are much more dangerous than they look. I’m training Neville-kun and Hermione-chan has teachers amongst my ... older men. I’m giving her fans for a welcome-back present.”

“Welcome back?” Moody had never heard of this.

“I do it just because. For here, welcome back to school. Do not queer my pitch.” Yusuke tossed his butt, banished it and went back into the quad.

Moody looked after him for a moment then shrugged. “Stayin’ on the good side of that one.”

Snape’s “That’s a good idea. I’m doing the same. And keeping my head down.” made him jump.

“Damn it, you sneaky snake. You watch yourself, indeed. I’ve got my eye on you.” Moody gave Snape a nasty look.

“Watch all you like, you old goat. I’m not going to do anything to get on the wrong side of that young man. He’s much too dangerous to mess with.” Snape sneered at Moody.

Moody limped toward him―he was standing between Moody and the archway into the quad. Snape refused to step aside, forcing Moody to either confront him or walk around. He settled on hexing Snape with a stumbling jinx.

Snape stumbled in place and Moody walked around him, giving him a shove for good measure.

Snape glared but didn’t say anything. He’d get his revenge later. Who knew what might float into a goblet or plate?

He cringed when Moody’s voice floated back to him, “And no funny stuff with my dinner.”

.

It was Wednesday before Yusuke got any letters. And they were hand delivered by Remus.

“Yusuke-oojisama, I bring letters. The first ones were intercepted by someone.” He bared his teeth in a humorless smile. “The owls came back, as arranged, and the letters had been tampered with.”

Yusuke silently bared his own teeth. “Very well. See that everything is brought up in hand. Either you or Shiriusu-oji. And find out who has green fingers. Yes?”

“A-no, Yusuke-oojisama, I’m not sure; but I’d swear I saw Dumbledore and Fudge at the Ministry this morning. I filed a complaint. They were both wearing gloves.” Remus’ expression was bland, but there was a spark in his eyes that Yusuke didn’t miss.

“I see. Sososo. Well. All communications to Hogwarts are to be delivered by hand.“ He looked to one side. Neville nodded. “Daimyo Neville Longbottom’s as well. All messages to me from anyone important come to you or Shiriusu-wakagashira. Yes?”

“Ok, Boss. You got it.” Remus smiled, another opportunity to tweak the noses of people who had treated him ill had just fallen into his hands. “Bribes.”

“Squeeze them like lemons. If they complain? Tell them ‘Anata wa, ōkina inu to issho ni jikkō dekinai baai wa, engawa ni taizai’.” 

Yusuke’s bland expression made Remus laugh. “Baka. You got it. I’ll go now.”

He turned just in time to see Draco Malfoy trying to hex him. The hex hit him directly in the chest, causing him to blink. He turned to Yusuke and asked, “He retarded, boss?”

“Not that I know of.” Yusuke motioned with his hand. “He hexed you, you deal.”

Remus ambled over to the Slytherin table and gathered the front of Draco’s robes in one hand, despite his struggles to get away. “You stupid?” Draco tried to glower but couldn’t quite manage. He shook his head. “Didn’t think so. I’m a werewolf. Go ask Professor Moody the results of most spells on weres.” He gave Draco a shake and dropped him.

Draco sprawled on the floor, yelling after Remus. “You! You animal. I’ll have your head. You can’t do this to me.”

Remus called over his shoulder. “Diplomatic immunity! Look it up. Twerp!” The Great Hall doors slammed behind him.

Yusuke started snickering, causing Neville and Hermione to join him. 

Hermione snorted, which made a few of the surrounding Gryffindors snicker too. Laughter was heard from the other tables as well.

Draco scrambled to his feet, face scarlet with embarrassment. He jerked his robes into order and stormed over to Snape. “Professor! You saw what that beast did. Do something!”

Snape eyed his godson with every evidence of disgust. “Why? You hexed him first. Lupin is the epitome of patience. Believe me, I should know. If you ever manage to actually piss him off ... don’t come crawling to me for sympathy. And you will crawl, because the least he’ll do is break both your legs. Twenty points from Slytherin and a week's detention with Hagrid. Go away, you stupid boy.”

Draco gaped at Professor Snape for a moment then his face crumpled into disbelieving fury. He ran out the doors at the side of the hall and disappeared.

Moody turned to Snape and remarked, “Didn’t think you’d do something like that. Thought you’d stand up for him.”

“When he’s stupid enough to hex someone in the Great Hall, in front of Professors and Students? I think not. Lucius has ruined that boy. I’ve done everything I know how to do. I give up. He’s on his own.” Professor Snape shook his head sadly. “Really. This new generation has no sense at all.”

“Death Eater brats rarely do. They’re too entitled. They think the world owes them something, just for who they think they are. Our generation, or rather my generation and yours, we know better. Unless ... well, never mind that.” He stuck his nose in his tea mug, downing half the hot brew in a few swallows. “What was that he said? Yusuke, I mean.”

“If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch. I think you can figure it out for yourself.” Snape returned to his breakfast, eating quickly then leaving.

Moody couldn’t help smiling over at the group Yusuke was the middle of. Granger was saying something to Longbottom with Miyamoto looking on with a slight smile on his face. Smoke curled around his fingers and head from the cigarette he held. The Professor wondered how he got away with that but let it go. He didn’t care if the boy smoked or not. And there were no rules about it in the Hogwarts rules. 

Yusuke looked up as if he felt the eyes on him. His eyes met Moody’s. They nodded to each other and the day went on.

.

Yusuke smiled at Hermione. “Juku?”

“Yes. I have some reading to do and I’d rather do it there. The common room is so noisy it’s hard to concentrate.” She waited while Yusuke opened the door for her. “Thank you.”

Yusuke waited until she dumped her books at her reading chair. “Here. For you.” he handed her a nicely wrapped present. 

He produced another present from his mallet space and gave it to Neville. And for you.”

Neville took the long, oddly shaped package and bowed. “Thank you. I’m sure I know what this is.”

“Yes, I’m sure too. Be careful with it. It’s not a toy. I know I don’t need to tell you that but ...” he shrugged elegantly. “It’s tradition.”

“I’ll be careful. I know it’s not a toy. And I respect tradition.” He smiled, unwrapped his daisho and set to examining it.

Yusuke had decided to give Neville a daisho as teacher to student, Christmas was not an appropriate time for such a present. 

“You don’t need to sharpen it; in fact, Western sharpening will ruin it. If it becomes dull, bring it to me and I’ll polish it for you. Then I’ll teach you how to do it yourself. I don’t expect you are stupid enough to abuse your swords, so they shouldn’t need more than cleaning for years.” Yusuke turned and settled in his own reading chair to finish a book on Accounting that Sirius had given him.

Neville just put his swords on the empty sword stand that had appeared on his desk and settled in to concentrate on his own assignment. An essay for Professor Sprout. He couldn’t believe that he already had this much work to do. 

.

They quickly fell into a routine. Yusuke woke at some ungodly hour, woke Neville and they went to the dojo to work out. On alternate days, they ran. Hermione also woke early. She went to Ken No Ie to take lessons from Remus and one of the dansei, an older Yakuza who enjoyed teaching. 

Hermione would be folded back in time to clean up and meet them for breakfast.

This was usually a trial as Dumbledore had pontificated until McGonagall had half-heartedly agreed that providing a Japanese style breakfast for three or four people was too much work for the house elves. Yusuke didn’t agree, neither did the elves, but there you were.

So, just for spite, they had their breakfast delivered from Ken No Ie in bento boxes. The waka that delivered them always made a show of it. He brought them in, put them in front of each of them and opened them with a flourish, he’d then step back to stand at one side. He made a show of making sure that their tea cups were always full and they had all the pickles and fishes they wanted. 

After they were done eating, he’d pick up the boxes and take them away, making a big show of that as well. The house elves actually sent a protest to Headmistress McGonagall after the first week. As she was still officially only the Assistant Headmistress―and how she could be only an assistant when there wasn’t a headmistress no one knew―she couldn’t do anything about Dumbledore’s orders.

They then went to class, or skived off and went to their juku to study. 

This went on for two weeks. Then they were told by the Head Girl that they were all required to appear in their classes for a preliminary test. 

Yusuke curled his lip at that but agreed with Hermione that skipping wasn’t on. Tests had to be taken, they’d agreed with Headmistress McGonagall on that. So tested they would be.

It wasn’t too bad in Transfiguration. They were given a paper match box and told to make ‘something nice’ from it.

Hermione made a little snuff box, which most wizards and witches used to carry medicinal teas. It was very nice, made of enameled brass with a silver liner and her initials on the top medallion.

Neville transformed his box into a book box. This was a special wooden box made to hold a personal grimoire. He made his of sandalwood, lined with satin. 

Yusuke transformed his box into a small inrō with a netsuke. The inrō, or pill box, was shaped like a turtle while the netsuke, which was used to keep the box from slipping out of the obi, was shaped like a koi. The silk cord that connected the two was eight inches long with a finely crafted tassel.

Professor McGonagall was impressed by all three and made no bones about it. She put them on her desk to display until they return to their original form.

Yusuke smirked, waved his hand over all three and announced, “There! They will remain in that form forever. Please to keep my humble effort as a small token of my regard.” With that, he strolled out, smoking one of his ever-present cigarettes. Hermione and Neville just followed him, whispering together.

Potions was nearly as easy. Snape had cracked down on students throwing things into each other’s cauldrons. He’d established shields between stations that prevented this and made them tamper-proof, with some help from Professor the Runes Professor'. They also reported such actions to him. He’d handed out several detentions, even to Slytherins, for this activity and they hadn’t been pleasant.

Now, he announced, “Open your books to page 36. You will find all the necessary ingredients already at your station. There is no need to visit the supply closet.” He smiled in a way that was anything but reassuring, “Unless, that is, you make a mistake and have to start over. Your test will be done when you finish the potion. Begin.”

And that explained why all other years' potion classes for the day were canceled. 

Each seventh-year was settled at a station, and they began to brew. It soon became evident that Draco Malfoy would finish first or second. Hermione too was to be near the top. Neville would finish in the middle of the pack. Everyone was surprised, except for Snape, when Yusuke turned in his potion third, behind Hermione. Draco, however, had a small accident in the middle of his brew. He added the wrong ingredient and his cauldron boiled over. 

Snape eyed him, pointed to the supply closet and said, “Start again.” He returned to his desk, but Draco threw a fit.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. What happened? Why did that it do that? I don’t understand.” He slammed his hand down on his work station, then stormed toward the door.

Snape’s cold voice stopped him. “Do that and you will fail. If you fail, you will be out of this class.”

Draco changed directions and retrieved more ingredients and began all over again.

Yusuke denied having anything to do with the boil-over, but his smug expression told its own tale. Hermione just smirked at him while Neville denied even being curious.

When they entered the classroom for the first time, they found that Runes and Arithmancy were now a combined class, the point being to use arithmancy to figure out which runes would be most effective in a given situation. Wards and shields depended on this, as well as expansion charms and a few other applications.

Hermione smirked at Ron’s dismayed expression. He’d been after her to help him, and she’d refused. This had caused a confrontation that had made Ron red in the face and Yusuke furious.

Neville had finished the argument by hexing Ron with a flatulence jinx and dragging Yusuke to the dojo and, as he put it, forcing him to whip him, Neville, like heavy cream.

It worked like a charm. They returned an hour later, Yusuke whistling, Neville limping.

Yusuke made it up to Neville by summoning a masseur from Ken No Ie. The man took Neville away to bathe, steam and have a massage and a regimen of potions that returned him to the common room in a glow of health.

Ron had been very careful after that; now he was reaping the seed he’d lazily sown. He was going to fail this test and be kicked out of yet another class. 

Hermione finished the test in thirty minutes, just behind Yusuke, who finished in twenty-five. They settled outside the door to wait on Neville. He took nearly forty minutes and grumbled that he’d misplaced a decimal, which put his results off and took him nearly five minutes to find. 

They ambled down to the quad to eat lunch and complain about having all the tests on two consecutive days, although Hermione did admit that she was happy to have them done and over with quickly. She then stuck her nose in a book.

Neville and Yusuke went over their test schedule and realized that the only test they had left was Defense. All the others were either done or tests they didn’t have to take, for whatever reason.

Yusuke smirked rather evilly. He’d managed to convince a few teachers, like Professor Sprout, that the ICW tests precluded the British Ministry tests, so he was going to have several more NEWTS than expected. The bonus was, without having to take a test. He was still in a completely adversarial relationship with the Ministry of Magic, Fudge and the Wizengamot, not that it bothered him that much. He was still trying to figure out if Fudge was a Death Eater, a sycophant, or just stupid. He was leaning toward the latter.

Lunch was duly finished with loud protestations of pleasure in serving from the three Waka that had delivered it, set up a table and served it. Yusuke smirked at Draco, who was livid that the three were getting special privileges. Draco glowered back, made a rude gesture and stalked off.

Yusuke sneered then announced, “I’m going to go flying. We have an hour before we have to be in Defense for our test. I need to relax.”

Hermione brightened, “Can I come too?”

“I don’t know. Can you?” Yusuke showed an amazing ability to pick which bits of English grammar he knew, and when.

Hermione huffed in irritation. “May I, then?”

“Yes, you may. We’ll fold to ... a place I know. There’s a track there. Neville?”

“Pray absolve me. I have no wish to risk life and limb, dodging obstacles at insane speeds.” Neville showed every intention of laying down right there and taking a nap. He didn’t notice Yusuke’s gesture, and wouldn’t have cared if he had. A waka moved from the shadows to take a position where he could guard the sleeping no wakai omo.

Hermione and Yusuke went up to Gryffindor to get their oars.

Hermione sighed, “Damn, I hate to traipse all the way down to the quad again.”

“Well then, we won’t.” Yusuke waved a hand and one of the common room windows opened. “Let’s go.” He mounted his oar and soared out the window into the clear, clean air.

Hermione snarled, “Yusuke, you baka.” And followed him, whooping happily as she cleared the tight window frame easily.

Yusuke pointed down. “Look. That’s why there’s no Quidditch.” They soared over the pitch. It was covered in small yew bushes, obviously being magically grown.

Hermione dodged back and forth then called, “It’s a maze.”

Yusuke darted away. “Never mind that. Come on.” 

Hermione was so glad that Yusuke had taught her the magical ‘intercom’ spell. They’d cast it on both their oars so they could talk without yelling.

“Where are we going?” Hermione wasn’t that sure that she wanted to fold in mid-flight.

“Where do you want to go?” Yusuke had an idea but he wasn’t sure it was that good.

“I really think I’d like to just stay here.” The tone of Hermione’s voice made Yusuke smirk. She was hell on an oar, negating Ron’s claims that she wasn’t all that great a flyer. 

“Fine. You lead, I’ll follow. Grudge race over the roof top?”

“Great. Catch me if you can.” And with that she was off.

Neither Yusuke nor Hermione were aware of the spectacle they were creating, and they wouldn’t have cared if they did.

They dodged between the towers and chimneys and ducked under the long bridge between Ravenclaw and Astronomy. Hermione glanced over her shoulder from time to time to make sure that Yusuke was still behind her. She knew that he could pass her anytime he wanted to, but he usually took this position, seemingly to catch her if she fell. He didn’t tell her that he only did it because he enjoyed watching her fly. He could pass her anytime he wanted.

They flew around Hogwarts until Madam Hooch flew up on her racing broom and ordered them down.

“You two! Come down! Now!” Madam motioned, using a referees' signal to ‘ground’.

Yusuke led the way down to the outer approach where a crowd was already gathered. Hermione grounded right beside him, drifting down gently then stepping off the oar.

“Yes?” Yusuke managed to cram a world of insolence into that single word.

“You’re interrupting classes. Causing an uproar and in general being a nuisance. You’re grounded until further notice. Hand those ... whatever they are over.” Madam Hooch held out her hand, gold eyes gleaming.

Hermione surprised even Neville by announcing. “It’s an oar, and, no, you can’t have it. Hogwarts, a History plainly states that no member of staff may interfere in the affairs of an adult student unless they have violated one of a very few rules that apply to adults. We haven’t violated any rules as there are only two that apply to oars, as opposed to brooms. We didn’t fly off the grounds. And we didn’t dive on the horses. Therefore, you have no right to confiscate our oars.”

Yusuke just stood and smoked while Hermione carefully quoted chapter and verse, as it were. 

Madam Hooch eyed him for a moment then sighed. “Dumbledore will not be happy.”

She didn’t get much farther as a voice from behind her announced, “And what about me? I’m not happy now. There has to be a reason that everyone does as Dumbledore says, even though it contravenes the true rules. Madam, kindly take yourself up to my office, we need to have a small discussion about flying and the condition of the school brooms.” Headmistress McGonagall turned to Yusuke. “And you. I’ll thank you very kindly not to scare the lower years into hysterics again.” She smirked at him. “Great flying. Hermione. I’m glad to see that young Weasley hasn’t turned you off flying completely. Good day.” And with that, she turned and went back inside. 

Yusuke smirked at Hermione who announced, “What?! She’s not going to put one over on me. Nor is Dumbledore. I really don’t know why he seems determined to annoy you. Puts me off. Come on. Let’s get out of here before the babbling hordes descend on us.”

Yusuke glanced around, snarled, “Kuso yoku!” then stormed away in a snit.

Hermione followed him easily, mumbling, “Shit indeed. Bunch of ... of ... Byōki manā akudō.” which caused Yusuke and Neville to crack up completely.

Yusuke grasped both of them by an arm and folded them to Ken No Ie, much to Hermione’s delight. She was treated like one of the waka by most of the men; the rest treated her very carefully. Most of the gaki nearly groveled when she came. They called her Reifujin, noble lady, with great pride. 

Most yakuza had little or no use for women, except for the obvious, considering them weak. Hermione had found this out one day when one of the gaki made the mistake of trying to dominate her. She’d hexed his bits off, literally, then punched him in the face. Her curse kept him immobile while she cussed him out in Japanese, sounding like one of her favorite characters, Duo Maxwell. Ever since, every man in the house knew better than to disrespect her.

Yusuke didn’t find out about that particular mess until Sirius had already handled it. The gaki in question was short all of the little finger on his left hand. And he went back to Japan in disgrace. Sirius’ explanation was, “I don’t want anyone in this house who is stupid enough to disrespect one of Miyamoto-san’s friends, woman or no. Not to mention that she’s powerful and the smartest young witch I know.”

So now, they all scrambled to accommodate the three young people who’d walked out of nothing into the middle of the entrance way.

Yusuke announced, “Watashi wa koko ni!” Men scrambled to take his shoes, oar and robes. 

The man who waited on Hermione snickered a bit when she said, “Shai,” instead of the more polite, “Arigato,” as he took her things.

Neville just grunted. He was more and more yakuza in his actions as time went on. Not that anyone minded much. He was polite enough in their world that some considered him effeminate, until they got on the wrong side of him. Then, as Yusuke had advised, he usually beat them down, then, if they were still conscious, he’d give them a cussing. No one who knew him would have ever suspected he could do such a thing. Yusuke had simply told him, “You have to do what is necessary to get the desired result. You want my men to respect you, you have to earn it. No different from anywhere else, just different methods.”

So they were treated to the respect they had earned, served tea and snacks in the English-style parlor and left to discuss whatever they liked. A waka stood in a corner, ready to supply more tea, snacks, or any other thing wanted. He considered it a great honor.

They stayed until about ten minutes before Defense.

.

Alastor Moody was nobody’s fool. He was well aware that Miyamoto Yusuke was an assassin and trained in more than Western magic. He wasn’t looking forward to this at all. Testing the little bastard was going to be a nightmare.

He looked down just in time to keep Mrs Norris from sneaking into the classroom. The caretaker's cat seemed to be dividing her attention between Filch and Miyamoto, he couldn’t help but wonder why.

He glowered ill-temperedly as his group of seventh years trooped in and took their seats. He checked the attendance against his grade book and realized that Miyamoto, Longbottom and Granger were seated at the back. He snorted at that; someone had taken their assigned seats. He realized that the squatters were Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. 

He thought about making the usurpers move then decided against it. He’d deal a bit later.

“Alright, you lot. Shut up and sit down.” He waited until the scramble was done. “Now. Due to the mess that this school is in, I’m testing everyone. I don’t care if you’re good, bad, or indifferent, I want to know. War is coming. You-Know-Who is on the move. You’ll not stick your heads in the sand and hope he goes away. Not on my watch. Dumbledore is convinced that Death Eaters can be reclaimed, turned to the side of Light.” He sneered, banged his fist on his desk and shouted, “Codswallop! That’s what that is!” He glowered around. “Only good Death Eater is a dead ‘un. Enough said. Now! You’ll be drawing lots. There are two chips with the same number on ‘em. Same numbers will be matched against each other. I’ll be watchin’ and your grade will be on how well you do with what you know. Even if you lose, you’ll get a good grade, if you deserve it. And no bitchin’. Works for Aurors, work for you. Shut up and draw.”

The initial grumbling faded and the class filed up to draw their chip. Yusuke was rather troubled to realize that, while the seventh years were divided up into three classes, there were only twenty students in this one. That meant that there were only sixty seventh years who qualified for advanced Defense. He was not impressed.

After the draw, things went just about as expected. Moody judged the matches, which were conducted in the small dueling arena behind the classroom. He yelled at some students, snarled at others. He sent several out of the class with a bug in their ear and a note to the Headmistress in their hand. They were ‘sent down’ to sixth year classes. Others were sent to the stands to sit and wait for another match.

Yusuke eyed the chip in his hand, wondering who he’d been matched with. The Professor had told them to sit until their number was called. He didn’t feel it was fair for them to know who their opponent was until the match. He idly looked around, Neville was up next.

“Number four.” Moody nodded to the platform.

Neville stepped up, asking as he got on the platform. “Any exclusions? Anything we can’t do?”

“Well, I’d be a bit upset if you used an Unforgivable. Other than that, no maiming.” 

Neville nodded. “Thank you, Kyōju.”

The Ravenclaw he was opposing was well known as one of the best duelists in the House. He bowed to Neville and, as was protocol, told him his name. “Kyle Devon, at your pleasure.” The phrase ‘at your pleasure’ indicated that he was ready to duel.

“Neville Longbottom, at yours, sir.”

Moody snorted but called, “Go!”

Neville shed his robes with a quick flick of a wrist and threw them at Kyle. This left him in his shirt sleeves and free of encumbrance. The fact that Kyle was so surprised by this that he didn’t duck and wound up with the robes over his face was an added benefit.

The next move was Kyle’s as he tossed the robes aside and cast a hex left handed. It didn’t connect but it did make Neville hop to dodge it. Jumping over the hex instead of dropping to the floor of the platform, as was standard, confused Kyle, which was his undoing.

Neville ended the match by punching Kyle in the solar plexus, driving the wind from his lungs. He wheezed, dropped to his knees and gasped, “I yield me.” Neville was at his side at once, pulling him to his feet and rubbing his back to help him catch his breath.

Moody took exception to that, demanding, “And if he was a Death Eater? What then, hey?”

Neville shrugged, producing a tanto from somewhere. “Then I’d give him Hagane no kisu.” He put his tanto away and dropped off the platform and returned to his seat between Hermione and Yusuke. He accepted his robes from Hermione and put them back on.

Moody eyed him for a moment, decided it wasn’t his business where exactly that knife was and returned to his judging. “Well, round to Longbottom. Not bad on your side either Devon. You were so over-matched ... well, never mind that. Pass for both.” Kyle returned to his seat, accepting the genial sympathy of his friends with good grace. 

“Next. Granger vs Weasley.” Moody glared at them both. “Well? Waiting for an engraved invite, are we? Get on with it!”

Ron announced, rather loudly, “Excellent. I’ll put that bloody know-it-all in her place.”

Hermione snorted, accepted Yusuke’s hand up to the platform then replied, “I know my place. You don’t know yours.”

Moody took the opportunity to call, “Go!” hoping to take one or the other off guard.

Ron was the one caught flat footed. Hermione allowed him all of a second to collect himself then hexed him with something she’d learned from her Sensei. She didn’t know the English name of it, if there even was one. But its Japanese name translated as the God of Death’s Kiss.

Her cry of, “Shi no kisu no kami!” made Yusuke smirk.

The hex wasn’t as bad as it sounded, although it was bad enough― it paralyzed Ron for several seconds. This gave Hermione enough time to indulge in a rather Japanese prank of writing rude kanji on the victim's face. 

She ended with another hex. “Hanasenai!” She nodded once in satisfaction. “And that’s a win. He should be able to speak by tomorrow. I think.”

Moody chuckled darkly. “So, Missy, know a lot of foreign spells, do you?”

Hermione eyed him for a moment. “Battle secret. Win or not?”

“You win. Will a standard finite fix ‘im?” Moody wasn’t that eager to unparalyze Ron, the boy was a constant pain in his arse. Hermione shrugged, “Not sure. Ask Yusuke-kun.” Moody just glowered in Yusuke’s direction then turned back. “And Weasley? As to Miss Granger being a know-it-all. That depends on two things, does she actually know what she claims? And, is she powerful enough to use it? In this case, know-it-all doesn’t apply. Accomplished does.” He wrote quickly then tossed the parchment in Ron’s general direction. “Here. Read it and weep.”

Ron, unfrozen by Yusuke, snatched the parchment out of the air, looked at it and tried to shout at Professor Moody. He quickly found that the only sound he could make was a pitiful wheeze. He stormed out to appeal to Headmistress McGonagall. It didn’t work and earned him three detentions with Mr Filch into the bargain.

The next matches were between students who were fairly well matched and went about as expected. Draco won against Crabbe, and Goyle won his match against a girl from their own house.

When Yusuke was called, however, his opponent just shook his head, “I’ll take a fail rather than match with him. He’s so much better than I am that it’s a done deal.”

Moody eyed the boy for a moment then announced, “If this had been a real-life deal, what would you do?”

“Um ... run. If I couldn’t run? Beg for my life and hope he’s in a good mood.” The student didn’t even blush. Yusuke smiled at him sweetly.

“Pass. Smart boy. Know when you’re over-matched and don’t be too damn proud to admit it.” Moody scowled around. “Well, who to match you with. I’d love to pit you against Malfoy but that’s not fair. He’s already fought once. So ...” he gave Yusuke an evil grin. “Looks like you’ll have to match ... me.”

Yusuke knew why Moody was doing this. One, he wanted to fight Yusuke to get his measure and two, he didn’t want a student mortally wounded on his watch.

“So. I shall endeavor to give you a decent match. My humble efforts not to fail. Yes?” Yusuke bowed, never taking his eyes off Moody.

“Bah! Get on the damn platform. Longbottom, call it.” Moody limped onto the platform from the judges stand behind it where he’d been sitting.

Yusuke mounted the platform, using a standing forward flip from the floor to the platform, six feet up. He shed his robes in flight and landed, facing Moody and ready to fight. Just as his feet touched down, Neville called, “Hajimeru!” 

The minute he called there was a loud bang and a shaft of bright spell light headed for Yusuke. It didn’t connect as he was already jumping up and away. He wave a hand and shouted, “Kōsen jū!” a small ball of blue light flew out of the tip of his finger and shot toward Moody.

He dodged it then blinked as it left a hole the size of a shilling coin in the platform. “Damn it! More foreign shit.” Moody cast a tripping jinx that was an Auror standard. It would work on just about anyone.

Yusuke didn’t bother to try to avoid it, he used it instead. As he rolled across the platform he shot several more spells at Moody, but Moody’s shields were up to the challenge and they bounced off.

Moody’s spells also bounced off Yusuke’s shields.

They fought back and forth for several more minutes, neither one able to get the upper hand until Yusuke pulled one final trick. He just threw himself at Moody bodily.

They collided in the middle of the platform with a meaty thud. Moody fell backward and dragged Yusuke down with him wrapping him in a back-handed, half-done incarcerous.

“Well, there, boy. Now what?” Moody was ready to crow at the win.

Until Yusuke just said, “Look down.” There, right at Moody’s abdomen, Yusuke held a long, sharp tanto, ready for the cut that would have Moody’s bowels spilling onto the platform. “Tie?”

“Tie. Damn it, you’re good. What the hell are you doing in my class?” Moody was going to have someone’s head.

“Obeying the orders of the Ministry of Magic.” Yusuke’s expression was a bland as white bread.

“Bah! Tell me another.” Moody accepted the younger man’s hand up. “I know a few things. Now, I’m sure of some I didn’t believe. Get out of my class and take Granger and Longbottom with you. Whatever you’re teaching ‘em is better than I can do. What with having to cater to some and spoon feed others. Scat!” They started to gather up their things, only nodding when Moody continued, “Turn in the essays assigned so I’ve got something to mark down in the grade book.”

They left as Moody turned to harangue the rest of the class. “And you worthless, motherless, jackasses, get to work. Reading’s on the board.” 

Hermione snickered, “I kinda like him. In a weird sort of way.”

“Masochistic nut job.” Neville patted Hermione on the shoulder in a show of mock sympathy.

Yusuke shook his head. “He’s crazy, but he’s very good. Almost had me. Keep an eye on him.”

Neville shrugged, “Ok. Let’s go find something to eat. Fighting always makes me hungry.”

They ambled down to the Great Hall to find that, while they were a bit early for dinner, there was food available. It seemed that McGonagall was a bit looser in her requirement for attendance at dinner than Dumbledore was. Her explanation was, “If they miss announcements at breakfast and dinner they ought to know enough to check the board in their common room.”

Test grades were posted that evening.

Neville was no longer required to attend Defense or Herbology; or, surprisingly, Potions. History was also a pass. Transfiguration, Runes/Arithmancy and Charms were still required practicals for him.

Hermione had passed everything except Runes/Arithmancy, from which she’d missed a sign-off by six points. She was irritated but resigned.

Yusuke got a pass on everything, with a note that, as he’d passed them to ICW standards, all he was required to do was turn in essays as assigned.

They retired to the juku to celebrate with tea and cakes, and required reading.

 

<><><><>  
Oyaji - father, also, old man, boss.   
Byōki manā akudō - ill mannered brats  
Watashi wa koko ni - I am here!  
Hagane no kisu - the kiss of steel.

Some of the complaints about my Japanese are valid, I don’t know enough to figure out which ones. But, remember, Yusuke was raised by Yakuza who are notorious for bad grammar, odd word choices, talking loudly and shooting people.


	30. Chapter 30

I just realized that, while I’ve finished proofing this, I never posted it. Man, Nano has really messed me up this year.

Conversations in Ken No Ie are all in Japanese, unless otherwise noted. (Usually in italics, if FanFiction doesn’t delete them.)

Betaed by Jake and Jordre  
.

Yusuke slammed his book shut. “I’m bored. I’ve read all the assignments and have my essays up to date. I’m going down to Ken No Ie and get drunk,” and with that he folded out, right from the juku.

Hermione sighed. “I knew it was a bad idea for him to get a pass on all his classes. When he’s bored, he’s dangerous.”

Neville promptly announced, “And he’s not otherwise? Seriously?”

“True.” Hermione went back to her studies.

Neville pushed his work aside and started in on the pile of reports from his various supervisors. Since he’d taken over running the greenhouses, Augusta had begun sending him reports on various other of the Longbottom enterprises. He was inundated with words. He grimly set about wading through them.

.

Yusuke folded into the entryway and announced, “Tadaima! Nanika atta?”

There was the usual scramble to get him out of his robes and into something more comfortable, in this case a yukata made of wool, lined with cotton. 

“Shai.” Yusuke ambled into the back and up the back stairs to his rooms. He grumbled all the way. 

Remus stuck his head out of the library and exclaimed, “Nani? What are you doing here?” He flushed a bit then continued, “Not that ... well, it’s your house after all. But shouldn’t you be at Hogwarts?”

“I should, but when have you known me to do what I should when I want to do something else?” 

Sirius drawled from behind him, “When your father says.”

“True.” Yusuke followed Remus into the library when he motioned to him, Sirius on his heels.

“Ok. What about the Tri-Wizard? What do you intend?” Sirius settled in the desk side chair, leaving the chair behind it to Yusuke. Remus lounged in the chair on the other side of the desk.

Yusuke frowned. “I’m not sure. I’m still waiting for advice from Father,” he shrugged in a rather elegant fashion. “I’m inclined to ignore it. Not put my name in. I really don’t believe it’s fair to the other students to do so. If my name should happen to come out of the goblet ... well, someone will get something they’re fond of cut off.”

Sirius nodded. “That would be my advice. We’ll wait and see what your old man says.”

Remus agreed, “Yes. My advice is the same. Someone has to come after you, sooner or later. I’d prefer later, but we’ll prepare for sooner.”

Yusuke smirked, “Ministry can’t come after me. Fudge signed that contract on behalf of the Ministry, and anyone who makes a move on me will be in violation of that contract and suffer for it. Not sure how. Don’t care either. Smoke?”

They settled in to smoke and visit. A Waka brought snacks and tea; he arranged everything to his satisfaction, then bowed his way out.

After a few sips of tea, Remus offered, “A letter should be coming soon, I’d think.”

Yusuke nodded, puffed for a moment then said, “I was expecting a letter yesterday or the day before. It usually doesn’t take this long. Why don’t you see if someone has messed with my postbox?”

Remus nodded, “Think I’ll just do that. Back in a flash.” He stood up and folded from where he stood.

.

Remus appeared in Yusuke’s room, checked his postbox, realized that everything that entered the box was rerouted somewhere else. He wondered why Yusuke didn’t notice it, then realized that most of his training was in combat and assassination; he also knew a lot about wards and shields. Why should he also know anything about the spells and charms on a postbox? The only reason he, Remus, knew anything was because he was interested in such things. He was in charge of mail because of his knowledge. 

Remus proceeded to trace the magical signature of whoever had interfered with the post. He also traced where the diverted post went to. 

The magical signature belonged to no one Remus knew, but he was sure Dumbledore had put them up to this― no one else had reason to interfere with Yusuke’s mail. He made a copy of the signature for later use, then traced the mail itself. He folded to where the mail was after he realized that it was still in Hogwarts.

He wasn’t that surprised to see that it was all just stacked, higgledy-piggledy, in a damp room in the lowest dungeon. This was rather bad, as parchment didn’t do well in damp. He gathered up the mail and took it with him, leaving a nasty note about thieves in its place. 

He returned to Ken No Ie to send off a protest to the Administrator of the Postal Office about having a private postbox interfered with. He also sent a message to Miyamoto Musashi-sama about it. Then he sorted through the mess and announced, “Well, most of the reports were hand-carried, now all the post will be. I’ll see to it myself.” He arranged everything so that all Yusuke’s post came to him personally so that he could get it to Yusuke as soon as possible, without interference. He’d go to Japan on a regular basis to pick up mail, if he had to.

He sorted through things again and took the results to Yusuke.

“Here. Mail. I found most of it in the lower levels of Hogwarts. It might be a bit damp, so you could use a few drying charms.” Remus settled back in his chair to wait for instructions.

Yusuke snorted. “Well, whatever. Open the reports and shit and I’ll see what Father has to say.”

He opened the letter, noticing the date was three days ago. He read quickly and agreed with his Father that he should not enter and make a big deal of it. Then, if his name came out of the goblet, they’d know that something was up. He was to participate if his name was drawn.

“Ok, that’s that. And ... business for me?” He waited a moment, then, when Remus shook his head he announced, “If there’s anything I need to do, one of you let me know.” 

Sirius nodded, “Ok, we will. Now what do you want to do?”

“O-saki tō!” Yusuke stood up and headed for the downstairs back lounge. 

They were met by several Dansei, waka and gaki, who settled them into comfortable piles of pillows and offered them wasabi peas, hot saki, and takoyaki. They settled in to nibble on the hot, salty peas, guzzle saki and argue over whether the octopus balls were done enough. Since Yusuke was making the takoyaki himself, his declaration that it was done when it was darkly browned won the day. No one was that concerned.

Sirius finally looked at the clock on the wall and announced, “Nearly dinner, you better get back.”

“Kuso! I don’t care. Watashi yorokobanakerete! Dumbledore is messing with me again.” He slammed around for a moment then shrugged. “Kare o fakku.”

Sirius just helped him get back into his robes. “Yes, fuck him. Only, seriously, I wouldn’t fuck him with someone else’s dick. Really. I know you’re not pleased, I’m not either. Control your temper, if you please. Losing it isn’t good. All you’ll do is wind up giving Grandaddy Longbeard what he wants. Calm down.”

“Gomen, Shiriusu-oji, I’m drunk.” Yusuke shrugged into his robes.

“I know, you’re mixing your languages.” 

Remus just snorted. He was well aware that Yusuke was a great deal less drunk than he was letting on. It was a Japanese thing. 

“Warui, Remusu-aniki. I’m going now.” And with that, Yusuke folded right into the entrance hall of Hogwarts and ambled into the Great Hall to see if dinner was served yet.

It wasn’t, but a lot of students had the habit of arriving a bit early; this allowed them to socialize, compare class notes and torment their enemies.

This was where Draco made his last mistake. He tried to hex Yusuke in the back, again. This time Yusuke was just drunk enough to take real exception to that particular activity. He hexed back. Only the hex was one he’d developed as a prank on his gaki. It was mostly harmless, all it did was force the hexed to yell apologies for their misbehavior at a set interval. Since Draco bore the bully mark already, it was very apropos. 

Draco snarled, “You ass, I knew you were all talk.”

Yusuke just snorted, “Wait for it.” He eyed Draco for a moment.

Suddenly Draco yelled, “I’m sorry. I’m a bully and a fool. I’m sorry. Please excuse my stupidity.”

The entire Great Hall rang with laughter.

Draco clamped his hands over his mouth, dropping his wand in the process.

Yusuke summoned his wand while Draco was trying to muffle another round of apologies.

Headmistress McGonagall, called by one of the prefects, hurried in. “Wha’ ta del’ is ga’n on?”

Yusuke looked at her blankly, her Scottish accent completely baffled him. “Shitsurei? Watashi wa rikai shite imasen.” He waved a hand before she could open her mouth. “Sorry. Excuse me? I didn’t understand.”

The Headmistress sighed, “What the devil is going on?” She looked around, then pointed. “Mr Longbottom.”

Neville shrugged, “Draco hexed Yusuke ... or tried to. Yusuke hexed him back. Not sure what it is.” He stepped back to stand next to Hermione.

“I see. So. Miyamoto-san, is it dangerous?” She was considering leaving it.

“No, Ofukuro-sensei, it’s not. All it does is make him confess and apologize for his ... sins.” He smiled sweetly. “Oh, and here is his wand. I would suggest that you make a box, put his wand in it and ... hex, or charm it to only open by the command of a teacher. That way, it cannot be said that you confiscated it. But it would prevent him from hexing people on a whim, yet not interfere with his class work. I could do it ... if you like.” Another sweet smile didn’t fool Headmistress McGonagall for a moment. 

“Like that, would you?” She gave Yusuke a sharp look.

“Hai. I would. But I would not do anything I should not.” He shrugged in his elegant way.

“I see. And why not?” McGonagall actually just wondered why.

“Because it would never get past you. It would make you angry. And it’s beneath me.” Yusuke plucked a small tanto box out of his mallet space, took out the tanto and shoved it back in. He produced a traveling writing set from the space, put it on the nearby table and made some ink. He wrote kanji on the bottom of the box and the sliding top. “There. The kanji on the bottom keeps anyone from breaking the box or erasing the kanji. The one on the top is a lock. Only an adult over the age of thirty can open it. The Professors are all over thirty, I checked ages ago. All they have to do is tap the box with their wand and say, ‘Hiraku.’ It means open.” He put Draco’s wand in the box and handed it to Headmistress McGonagall.

While all this had been going on, Draco had been trying to shut himself up. He’d confessed to stealing things from various housemates and several other inter-house misdemeanors. Snape was eyeing him with great disfavor. He’d come in late and only gotten in on the end of things. The seventh year Slytherin prefect was very pleased to fill him in.

Professor and Head of House Severus Snape eyed his godson with disfavor. “I see. Well, we’ll see about that. Draco. With me.” He took the box that Headmistress McGonagall offered him.

Draco started to protest but got a good look at his godfather’s face. Snape was white around the mouth, not good. Draco followed him down to his office, grimacing.

Snape turned and settled behind his desk, motioning for Draco to sit in the hard, straight-backed chair that faced it. It was as hard as it looked.

“Now. would you like to explain to me what part of stay away from that man you didn’t understand?”

Draco puffed up like a poisoned toad. “Look, that ‘man’ as you call him, has ruined my family. Father and Mother have gone to the Continent, and I’m living in the Dower House. The Dower House! I ask you. What the hell is that? He deserves everything I can do to him and more.”

Snape just rubbed the bridge of his nose as if attempting to ease a headache, and to tell the truth, he had one. “Very well. I see that your Slytherin sense has deserted you. Your parents have gone to Switzerland to stay out of the war. A war that your Lord will lose. He stepped on some toes he shouldn’t have. And the Ministry—I’m actually amazed that it’s still standing. Young Miyamoto is ... more dangerous than Voldemort and your father put together.” He held up a hand to stay Draco’s protest. “Shut up. He’s a trained assassin; he has, as the saying goes, at least six proven tears on his face and most likely many more. He killed a group of Korean mobsters by himself. Only no one can prove that. As to you living in the Dower House, just be glad you’re not disowned entirely. The Dower House is a perfectly acceptable dwelling. Please explain to me why you think the manor house should be kept open for you alone? It’s quite expensive to keep open and has needed some repairs for years. They’re being seen to. I’m sure you’d enjoy living in the dust and mess of construction.” His awful politeness and sarcasm made Draco take pause and actually think.

 

“Oh. Well. I didn’t think ...” Draco shut up at the expression on his godfather’s face.

“That’s exactly right. You. Did. Not. Think. Your brains are going to liquify and run out your ears if you don’t start using them. Damnit! You’re a Malfoy and a Slytherin. Do what you were born to do. Shut your mouth, keep your head down. And survive!” He glowered at Draco so fiercely that the boy actually quailed. “And sit up straight!”

Draco sighed. He could feel another outburst coming. “Excuse me,” then he started yelling out more of his misbehavior and apologizing for it.

When he was done Snape just sighed and asked, “Must you shout?”

“Evidently, I must.” Draco was flushed and furious.

“Well, don’t show me your temper, me likes it not. And detention, with me, for a week. No outside brewing and you will write 24 inches on the Miyamoto family, yakuza and the Yamaguchi kazoku. Also look into what is called O-Kakusareta kazoku, the Honorable Hidden Family. Each. That should keep you busy and out of trouble for at least a month. If you run out of things to do before Christmas, I’ll assign something else.”

Draco scowled at this news then cleared his face before demanding, “Take my wand out of that stupid box now.”

“Oh, no, my boy, your wand will stay in that box until Headmistress McGonagall says otherwise. You deserve it for getting caught trying to hex a master assassin. Idiot! Now get out of my sight. Start researching. Go!” Snape tossed a book at Draco, who caught it easily. “Read that.”

Draco eyed it for a moment then tucked it under his arm, shoved the box containing his wand in a pocket and scurried out, swearing under his breath. 

Snape decided that, if Draco tried one more thing against Yusuke, he was going to wash his hands of the foolish boy.

A tap at his door had him scowling, but he called, “Come in,” with ill grace.

Yusuke entered, eyed the straight-backed chair and decided to lounge, hip shot, on a table at the side of the room. “So. Tell me. Did you skin him?”

“No, although I was sorely tempted. I set him to researching. And he’s going to be pickling flobber worms, gutting slime snakes and chopping anything nasty that I can think of for the week. And I set him to researching Yakuza and your family. I’m hoping that that will scare some sense into him.” Snape sighed, then offered, “Would you care for some tea?”

“No, I thank you. I’m headed up to the juku soon, and Hermione will have a nice spread. I don’t really want to have to kill him, but I’m truly tired of watching him all the time. Pray keep him under your thumb. Just because I don’t want to do something doesn’t mean I won’t.” Yusuke offered Snape a cigarette, which he took. “I’m wondering if a quick conversation with me might not help.”

“Conversation?” Snape had a cold feeling about that suggestion. “What sort of conversation?”

“One in which I sneak into his rooms and scare the shit out of him.” Yusuke smiled in a way that made Snape very glad he’d managed to stay on the right side of this no waka omo. 

“If you make a mess, you’ll clean it up,” Snape smirked at Yusuke.

“If there’s a mess made, Draco will clean it up. I’ll go now.” Yusuke wandered out the door, shutting it quietly after himself. 

.

Draco was sure that he’d locked his door. But he was also sure someone was in his room. He lay in his bed and listened carefully. He could hear his cohorts, Crabbe and Goyle, breathing; but he was sure there was a third exhalation. 

He was right. A hand clamped over his mouth and nose, silencing him. The smell of cloves on the breath that wafted over his face told him who it was. “Be silent.” Hard hands pulled him out of his bed.

Yusuke dragged Draco into the common room so that their conversation wouldn’t wake the two other boys.

“You ... you’re not really worth all this trouble but Snape-Kyōju seems to like you, for some reason that I can’t figure out. So ... you listen to me, you unchi. You keep your nose clean or I’ll deal with you. You shame your family, you embarrass your friends, and you annoy me. If you make any sort of scene when the other schools arrive, I’ll break you in half.” Yusuke let go, allowing Draco got take a full breath.

“You bastard! I’ll have your head. You can’t do this to me. I’m a Malfoy. My Father ...” Draco didn’t get any farther as Yusuke gave him a shot to the solar plexus which knocked all the air out of him.

“Damare!” Yusuke took a deep breath. “Do not annoy me. Your Father has thrown you to the winds. He will not do anything to help you for fear of O-he wo koku, and me. If either of your parents return, one of us will deal with them. You really do not want that, do you?” And with that he proceeded to give Draco the sort of beating Draco had his thugs dish out to others.

When he was done, Yusuke wiped his hands on Draco’s pajama top, which he’d ripped half off, dragging him up to punch him one last time. “Now. Here’s how it’s going to be. You will do all your class work without complaint. You will be polite to everyone. I don’t mean you have to be more than distantly polite. But, no name calling, no shoving the younger years, no slander, no back stabbing. Keep your dogs on a short leash. Got me? Or do I need to explain more thoroughly?” Yusuke dropped the top on the floor and gave Draco a look that had made even Snape shiver.

“Yes. I understand.” Draco gulped, his throat understood too. “But ... how did you even get in here. The password ... the door.”

Yusuke decided an explanation might actually convince Draco. “I can hide almost anywhere, so I overheard the word. And I found the door easily, it’s almost impossible to hide things from a shinobi. I’ve been trained for this since I was nine years old. My Father had me taught anything I wanted. I wanted to be a good son to him, so I learned to do the things my brothers couldn’t. I am called the Shikkō-sha, the Enforcer. I enforce my Father’s will. I am the Bokunenjin, the Quiet One. You never know that your throat is cut until you see the blood.” 

Draco considered this, looked Yusuke in the eye then shuddered. “You really don’t care for England, do you? And ... you would kill anyone your Father told you to?”

“I don’t and I would. Without hesitation.” And, with that, Yusuke slipped away, out the door and up to his dorm, convinced he’d gotten through to Draco at last.

Draco for his part, ached all over. The punches had all been to his torso, several to the kidneys. He realize that he’d been playing with fire since Miyamoto Yusuke had come to Hogwarts, and it had refused to burn him. He shuddered, moaned and limped back to his bed. He took a couple of healing potions and a sleeping potion. He would wake in the morning a changed boy. He decided that keeping his head down and being least in sight was his best bet.

.

The next few weeks went quickly. The group attended assorted practicals, usually whichever one interested one of them. They did their work quickly and spent a great deal of time in the juku, studying on Hermione’s part. Neville managed most of his family business from his desk, as did Yusuke. Reports were all hand-delivered now, so various officials of Yusuke’s family came and went, delivering or picking up reports for both Neville and Yusuke. Headmistress McGonagall kept out of it.

Dumbledore had his own problems to deal with. The ICW was questioning his revival of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the Japanese were protesting the British Ministry’s interference with young Potter’s fortune. He, Dumbledore, had to recuse himself from proctoring the meetings, but he had to stay.

He was also trying to deal with things that were happening in the Wizengamot. Things that would actually benefit the common people of Magical Britain, but were unpopular with the Purebloods. He needed to water the laws down quickly, but keep them strong enough to placate the general population. 

He wondered why the Japanese representatives were causing all this trouble now. He didn’t know that it had taken this long for Miyamoto to get leverage on the right people. Miyamoto now had three of the five representatives in his pocket.

While he waited for the meeting to reconvene from lunch, Dumbledore made notes for his deputy at Hogwarts. He was just sure that she’d mess everything up if he didn’t tell her exactly what to do before Halloween. This was when the other schools were to arrive at Hogwarts.

.

Minerva McGonagall eyed the bundle of scraps of parchment with a very jaundiced eye. “Ach! ‘At owd ...” She took a deep breath before she said something out loud that was not only in Highland cant, but rude in the extreme. “I’ll not be doing any of that, if it’s not wise. Or good for the school. Tri-Wizard be damned.” She started reading.

Most of the parchments wound up on the floor in wads, or incinerated; depending on how idiotic they were.

One was stupid in the extreme, as far as she was concerned. She was not putting the Goblet of Fire out as soon as the schools arrived and trying to shield it with an age line. No, not on her silliest of days. 

She had her own ideas of how things should go and that was the way they’d go, or she’d know the reason why. If Dumbledore wanted something different, he should stay and take care of matters himself. 

She spent the rest of the evening making the last of her arrangements and finalizing them with various people.

.

Halloween came, as it must, and the whole of Hogwarts was buzzing like a beehive. The younger years all mourned the fact that they couldn’t go to the Halloween Ball because they were too young, or in the case of fifth and sixth years, didn’t have an invitation. Everyone would be at the feast, in costume, to welcome the entry of the other two schools who participated in the Tournament.

Hermione had decided to go as Sailor Moon, one of her favorite manga characters. She was ok with the ‘twin tails’, the long, blond pigtails the character wore. But she was having major trouble with the short sailor uniform that she wore. The top wasn’t much of a problem, just a tight sailor top; but the extra-short skirt was killing her. She wasn’t about to ‘flash’ every male in Hogwarts.

Yusuke let her stew for a bit then informed her, “Hermione-chan, the sailors all wear panties that are meant to be seen. They have color.”

Hermione eyed her reference photo and nodded. “So they do. But what about those ribbons? I want ribbons, even though Sailor Moon doesn’t wear them.”

“So, have ribbons. Who the hell cares? These people don’t even know who Sailor Moon is.” He returned to his contemplations. He still hadn’t decided who he was going as.

He, Neville and Hermione had decided to all go as some character from anime or manga. Neville was going as Miroku from Inuyasha, simply because he liked the staff that Miroku carried. It was called a Shakujō; it was about six feet tall with a large oval brass head with a bar down the middle. This bar was encircled with small brass rings that jingled when he tapped the butt of the staff on the floor or shook it.

Hermione eyed Neville for a moment then announced, “I hate you.”

Neville, now used to declarations of this sort, just raised an eyebrow and replied, “Well, tough. You had to decide on something that outrageous at the last minute. Why not a geisha? Just askin’.”

Hermione huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. “Did you see all that rig? No. Just Nu-un.”

Yusuke nodded. “Lot of layers. I had to practice forever to walk and move without falling over or dragging a sleeve through the food. Real pain. But I accomplished my mission. Got a bit of shit about cross-dressing, but a good smack around the head put a stop to that. What part of disguise don’t those idiots understand?” 

Hermione shrugged, “Some people are just determinedly ignorant. No help for them, just give it up.”

Yusuke nodded, “You’re right. So ... who should I go as?”

“Sumo wrestler,” Hermione was quick to say.

“No. Sumo don’t have tattoos. In fact, I think it’s expressly forbidden.”

Hermione grinned, “But you’d look so cute in nothing but a fundoshi.”

Yusuke just threw a light stinger at her. Her obligatory yelp let him know his aim was good.

“Ow. Jerk.” She tossed a stinger back but missed. 

Yusuke maturely stuck his tongue out at her, giving her a ripe raspberry. “Missed. So ... who should I go as?”

Hermione thought for a moment. “Well, you could go as Inuyasha, to match with Neville’s Miroku. Or ... Himura Kenshin. That’d be easy. And you could carry a daisho instead of that sakabatō.”

Yusuke thought for a moment. “I could. But ... question. I know about Ken-san’s grief because of his unacceptable actions. But, reverse blade? Why? Doesn’t make sense to me. If you don’t want to kill, don’t. Swords don’t make that much difference. I could kill with a sakabatō just as easily as with a standard katana. Seems silly.”

Hermione shrugged, making her collar flip. “It’s manga. Get over it.” She grumbled a bit as she smoothed her collar back.

“So true. But Kenshin is easy. I’ve even got a faded kimono. Some waka washed a bright red cotton in hot water. It’s about the right color and the rest of the outfit is standard stuff.” He got up to find what he needed and returned a few moments later with his arms full of clothing.

He put up a privacy spell and changed. While he was changing he also fixed his hair. He always wore it in a high pony tail, which he preferred as it kept the back of his neck from sweating. He left it in the high tail but cast an illusion on his tie that changed it to a bright red. Not Weasley carroty red, but a deep, rich auburn with gold and crimson highlights. 

Hermione took one look and snarled, “I swear, you know more beauty charms than Draco Malfoy. Damn it.”

Yusuke just smirked.

Neville eyed him for a moment then shrugged. “Looks good on him. When do we go down?”

Yusuke yawned. “Late. I have no wish to get crammed by a bunch of lower years. They’re all going to be unbearable. Sugar-high and over-excited. If we wait until just before service, we should get to see the other schools come in, but avoid the madness.”

Hermione agreed, “And, if we time it right, we’ll be able to make a grand entrance. You know, down the main staircase. Stand dramatically at the top until we’re noticed, then process down them and into the Great Hall, through parting crowds of staring underlings.”

Neville worried, “What if we stand there forever and don’t get noticed?”

Yusuke snorted. “Not gonna happen. Don’t worry about that.”

Neville absently wondered, “When are the schools actually arriving?”

Yusuke shrugged. “Who cares? Durmstrang will arrive via that stupid boat of theirs. Beauxbatons might come in their carriage; those horse things are huge and only drink single malt whisky. That half-giant professor ... Hagrid?” Hermione nodded. “Him. He’ll cream his shorts. They’re beautiful.”

Hermione fluffed one pig tail and settled her sash a bit better. “Well, tea?”

Yusuke agreed; it was still three hours before dinner. “Yes, tea. Let’s go up to the Astronomy tower, we’ll get no rest down here. Dean, Seamus, and that idiot Weasley still haven’t gotten dressed.”

So they ambled up to the tower to sit on the benches around the circumference of the tower and drink tea from a thermos bottle and watch for the arrival of the schools.

While they were waiting, Neville and Hermione discussed who was going as what. 

Hermione sighed, “Well, Seamus is going as a leprechaun, obvious. Dean?”

“Don’t know.” Neville grimaced, “But Weasley is going as Gryffindor.”

“What is that face for?” Yusuke smirked, as if he didn’t know.

Hermione moaned. “Carroty hair with burgundy and gold. Just ... ugh!”

No one could remember what Dean was going as.

They returned to vague conversation and watching for the arrivals.

Durmstrang arrived first, the three-masted, high-sterned galleon rose out of Black Lake to some fanfare and a lot of splashing. The giant squid didn’t appreciate that much and waved its tentacles irritably.

The three friends drank more tea and made fun of the rush on deck as crew hurried about, coiling sheets and lines and generally tidying the ship. The students stood about on deck in small clumps, getting in the way of the crew and milling aimlessly as the crew shooed them out of their way. Hermione pointed out that anyone with sense would have made the students stay below decks until the clean-up was done and the ship was properly docked.

Another round of tea, and they were treated to the arrival of Beauxbatons. They did come in their huge carriage. Hermione was of the opinion that both schools planned to stay in their conveyances. Neville remarked that Headmistress McGonagall was going to throw a ‘wobbly’ as she’d made arrangements and opened an unoccupied wing for their use. She wasn’t going to be best pleased at the waste of time and effort on the house elves' part.

Yusuke agreed then smirked, “Perhaps we should do something about it?”

Hermione nibbled on her lip for a moment then asked, “Like what?”

Yusuke just said, “Service please.” An elf popped in. “So, little one, tell me. Are the other schools planning to stay in the quarters provided by your hard work, or are they rudely planning to live in those?” he waved a hand in a gesture that included both the ship and the carriage.

The elf looked downright unhappy. “They is planning to be staying in those.” 

“I don’t think that is very nice of them. Perhaps ...” Yusuke gave the elf a sly look, “they should just be helped to see the error of their ways? A little nudge, you see?”

The elf eyed him for a moment then snickered and disappeared. 

Hermione blinked for a second then demanded, “Yusuke! What the hell?”

“I bet both schools will find that all their possessions have been helpfully moved to quarters here in the castle.” Yusuke smoked for a moment then grinned. 

Hermione glanced at Neville; Neville shrugged. “I think that that is a very good idea. Rudeness seems to be endemic in the magical world. A little lesson in good manners doesn’t go amiss.” He cast a tempus, picked up his staff and started down the stairs. “We better head down. I’d like to watch from the mezzanine for awhile. Just for the fun of it.”

“Ok, we go.” 

.

They sat in the tiny mezzanine over the entry hall for nearly another hour. They watched the milling students admiring each other’s costumes and commented on the same.

Merlin seemed to be a favorite as there were several versions in each year, not all of them male. Morgana was also popular with a certain type of girl. There were the obligatory versions of the Founders, as well as the odd Minister of Magic. The rest of the younger years were divided between Marvin the Mad Muggle and various other Magical characters.

Hermione announced, “I’m just too impatient. We have to go, or I’ll jump out of my skin.”

Neville just stood up, jingled his staff and followed her. Yusuke trailed after them, smoking one last cigarette. Himura-san didn’t smoke.

When they reached the landing at the top of the main staircase, Yusuke let everyone get in position then tapped his finger on empty air, producing a loud gong. Everyone turned in their direction. 

The gasps that greeted their appearance were everything that could be wanted. The only thing was, Hermione had forgotten the wizarding prejudices about clothing. Neville had known it wasn’t going to do any good to tell her and Yusuke didn’t know. So most of the people in the entry hall were not admiring, they were utterly shocked. 

Yusuke realized this almost immediately so he just covered Hermione with a glamor and sent her, a bit weepy, up to change into something else. She settled for her miko costume from last year with a different hair style. She was fiddling with it when Lavender walked in.

“Hermione J. Granger. If you’d have shown me your costume, I’d have warned you. But noooo, you had to make it a great surprise. Well, last year’s costume, but we’ll change the color to all white and no one will understand that they’re the same. Wizards are completely stupid that way. I like the tails, we’ll leave them but put pom-poms on and streamers off those. I’ve got some ...” she fished quickly. “Ha! What color do you want? I think purple would be nice.” Hermione wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “Good. You’ve spoiled your makeup, but that’s not a problem.”

Hermione determinedly blew her nose again, cast a charm to take the red out of her eyes and said, “Purple pom-poms and streamers would be nice. Thanks, Lav. I really should have asked you first, but I was just all caught up in being one of my favorite characters.”

“Well, I understand that. Why else do you think I’m Celestina Warbeck? Despite the fact that I can’t sing a note. Now.” She quickly fixed Hermione’s makeup while Hermione cooperated by closing her eyes so she wouldn’t flinch. “There.” 

Meanwhile, Yusuke was snubbing some smart-mouth sixth year from Ravenclaw. “I don’t see the problem. It’s a costume. Not like she dresses like that everyday. Besides that, I’d like to see the man with nerve enough to mess with her. If she doesn’t cripple him, I’ll kill him and leave his corpse to rot.” The girl opened her mouth again but closed it without saying anything. Yusuke nodded. “And your voice will come back when you’re a little less self-satisfied and rude. Go.” The girl scurried away.

The whispers continued for a few more moments, then Hermione appeared on the landing again. Her new costume consisted of white nagajuban, haori and hakama. Hermione had chosen to lace the sleeves with purple ribbons the same color as her streamers, instead of the traditional red. She also wore tabi and waraji, the straw sandals. These were the same as Yusuke was wearing in his role as Himura Kenshin.

She stood for a few moments then, when Yusuke called to her, she walked calmly down the stairs and joined him. “Well, that was embarrassing. Wizards. Seriously.”

“Exactly. When I’m shed of this ...” he waved a hand. “I’ll be happy. Come, mingle.”

So they mingled. Hermione took a bit of grief for her earlier costume but she held her head up and refused to be baited. Her usual reply of, “My Father would not have objected,” shut up most of them.

Draco Malfoy wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. He actually hadn’t seen anything to object to; all Hermione’s skin had been decently covered, long boots covered her legs from knee to ankle and that ‘magic’ thigh wasn’t indecent, as far as he was concerned. He assumed the flash of panty was from the angle rather than the shortness of her skirt. 

The other Slytherins kept to their own group and their comments to themselves. Professor Snape had intimated that any trouble while the guest schools were about would not rebound on his House. He would take any backstabbing personally and deal appropriately. 

There was a loud bang to signal the beginning of seating and all the students made their way to their tables and seated themselves. It was time for the banquet to begin. The hall was decorated with floating candles, swooping bats and magical cobwebs, very nice but so standard as one Slytherin commented.

“Welcome, welcome. I am happy to see all your shining, happy faces.” Dumbledore beamed at the student body. “There will be a few announcements after the other schools enter, then we’ll all indulge in a wonderful meal.” He babbled on for a bit about good sportsmanship and cooperation, and a bunch of other boring things that no one listened to. He finished up, “So, now that I’ve had my say, Assistant Headmistress McGonagall will have hers.”

Acting Headmistress McGonagall sneered genteelly at Dumbledore then announced, “I’ll keep the blather to a minimum. Welcome, Beauxbatons!”

The girls marched in throwing rose petals and tiny paper birds. The petals dissolved into a mist that smelled of roses and the birds fluttered around until one of the girls, who had remained standing in the doorway, did a series of back flips clear up to the high table, then they also dissolved into showers of silver sparkles as she passed.

“Madam Maxim, welcome to Hogwarts.” Dumbledore took the half-giant lady’s hand, kissed it and led her to her seat at the high table. At a signal from Madam, the girls all filed to the empty table between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. They settled in with a minimum of fuss.

Then it was Durmstrang’s turn. Martial music started to play and the students of the school entered. They marched in, banging staffs on the floor, creating showers of sparks. Ron whispered, “Victor Krum. Golly.”

Yusuke looked up just in time to catch the boy’s eye. They eyed each other for a moment, Krum raised an eyebrow, Yusuke nodded. Victor went on. 

Karkaroff greeted Dumbledore with a hug. They chattered about nothing much for a moment, then Karkaroff seated himself on the other side of Professor Snape from Madam Maxim. She turned and scowled at him across Snape. Karkaroff sneered at her. Yusuke noted this and filed it away for later.

The Durmstrang boys filed to their table between Slytherin and Gryffindor. They seated themselves with a clatter.

Dumbledore announced, “Welcome to the boys of Durmstrang and the beautiful ladies of Beauxbatons.” Again, he kept everyone waiting while he nattered on about not much of anything worth listening to, then he ended, “And now ... we feast.”

The food appeared on the tables. Yusuke was a bit surprised to see that the dishes were from the cultures of all three schools. There were Russian dishes, French offerings and good, plain English fare.

The meal was conducted much as any other meal. Serving pieces were passed, people took food, they ate, talked and, as Yusuke sneeringly put it, wondered and marveled over nothing much.

When they were finished eating, Madam Maxim started to get up, but Dumbledore thwarted her. “Now, Professor McGonagall has an announcement to make.” He waved his hand at her as if giving her permission to speak.

The lady stood in front of the high table and waited until everyone was quiet and looking at her. “Now then. This is the last of the announcements. The Goblet of Fire will be placed in the Entry Hall on December 20th. It will be accepting names for exactly one day, 24 hours. It will be guarded carefully until the leaving feast on the 22nd, to prevent tampering. There will be an age line to prevent anyone under sixteen from entering; the protective wards will work, even if you have someone else put your name in. So don’t. The names of the champions will be drawn at the leaving feast.” She nodded once then continued, “All lower grades will return to their Houses now. If you have a date, find them and stay by their side.” She smirked at a dumbfounded Dumbledore and took her seat at the foot of the table.

Dumbledore cocked his head, frowned at her then mouthed, “We’ll talk later.” He waved his hand and all the tables disappeared, all the chairs too. Any student who’d been foolish enough to remain seated found themselves seated on the floor. Dumbledore nodded genially and announced with a twinkle, “Let the ball begin.”

Headmistress McGonagall led the way to the teacher’s lounge behind the Great Hall. Dumbledore followed. Fortunately, for him, he was distracted from his proposed complaints by a floo call. An elf popped in to tell him that someone wanted him on the floo in the Head’s office. He scurried out, garish robes flaring around his heelless slippers.

Professor McGonagall glowered after him, grumbling, “Call me on the carpet, will you? Ye owd scunner. Away an bil’ yur hed, ye bampot.”

Dumbledore wasn’t sure what the man on the other side of the floo was talking about, something about the Russians complaining that the Chinese were taking advantage of them somehow. He stepped through to see what was going on, completely forgetting about his complaints with Minerva.

.

The ball was fun. Everyone wandered around in clumps of friends, admiring costumes and chatting. The Durmstrang boys and the Beauxbatons girls huddled together at first. But Headmistress McGonagall called a mixer. At the call of ‘Form up.’ all the boys and girls formed separate lines and walked around the edge of the room, girls to the right and boys to the left. Then Hagrid, as having the loudest voice without shouting, called, ‘Face your partner.’ The music started and the couples were formed by simply dancing with whoever you were facing.

After the second mixer the students were allowed to dance, or not, with whoever they wished. Yusuke was glad of this as he hated dancing Western style, especially the old-fashioned dances that were still popular with Wizards. He liked loud techno and J-pop, and appropriate dances. If he danced at all.

Hermione danced with several boys, then came to sit with Yusuke and Neville, who were sitting out a couple of dances. “Oh, man, my poor toes. That last one was just horrible. I’m not dancing again unless I’m sure my partner can actually dance.”

Neville nodded. “You can refuse. I know most of the good dancers in Hogwarts. Durmstrang enforces dancing lessons for everyone. Wonder why they only brought boys.”

Yusuke offered, “Probably because only boys will be allowed to enter the tournament. Beauxbatons only brought girls for the same reason, only their girls are going to be allowed.”

Hermione snorted. “Well that makes sense. Not. Stupid ...” she mumbled off, rubbing her crushed toes.

Neville offered that they didn’t have dates, so they weren’t required to stay the whole ball. Yusuke admitted that he was bored and really not interested in dancing with some giggling featherhead.

Hermione sighed, “So now I’m a giggling featherhead? Thanks so much.”

Yusuke just stood up and offered his hand. “I’ll dance with you. You’re a good conversationalist and don’t irritate me. Come.”

Hermione gave him her hand then looked down. “Oh, shoot. My sandals.”

Yusuke just knelt down and put one of Hermione’s feet on his knee. He tied her sandal for her then did up the other. “There.”

They made their way to the floor and waltzed; when the music ended Yusuke turned Hermione over to Neville.

Neville was glad that their dance was also a waltz. He needed to have a very private conversation with Hermione.

“You’re not going to get all heart-burning over Yusuke, are you?” He gave Hermione a worried frown.

“Oh, not only no, but hell no.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words. “I love him to death. Like that annoying older brother that you know has your best interest at heart. I’ll always be his friend, but marry? I’d have him hexed into oblivion in a month. Stop making that face.”

“Ok. I’ll stop. I was worried, I’ll admit. I’m happy now. I love him, too. Just the same as you do. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and I intend to keep him, even after we graduate. I have businesses in Japan, and I intend to increase them. He’ll see more of me than he expects. At least three times a year.”

The music stopped and they made their way back to the table, well satisfied with themselves. Yusuke gave both of them a sharp look― not like he hadn’t read their lips easily enough. He was relieved that Hermione didn’t have romantic interest in him, he had a fiancée. His father had picked her; they would get acquainted after he was done with this foolishness. If they didn’t get along, that was ok, they would move on without repercussions. He was also glad that Neville wanted to keep up their friendship. He would make sure that Neville’s businesses went well. Protection for free, if you would.

They settled to watch the dancing for a bit, drinking tea provided by the house elves. A few people stopped by the table to sit awhile and chat.

Moody even stood at the table for a moment. “Not gonna be a problem with that Bulgarian boy, Krum, is there?”

“No. Do business with his father from time to time. That Russian boy might be a problem. If he is, I’ll handle it.” Yusuke frowned slightly. “Unless you want to warn him off now?”

Moody considered for a moment. “I’ll drop a word in Krum’s ear.” He stumped off, grunting under his breath.

Yusuke finally looked at his watch, remarked that it was getting late and they could now leave without someone considering them antisocial. Not that Yusuke cared, but he didn’t want Hermione and Neville to have problems because he, Yusuke, was an antisocial sociopath. He was, but that wasn’t the point.

They headed up to their dorm, but had an interesting experience on the way. 

Hermione tugged on Neville’s sleeve. “Shhhh. Listen.”

Yusuke had already stopped. He tugged both of his friends into a niche behind a suit of armor.

 

“I don’t like it. Why are we staying in Hogwarts instead of on board?”

“Because McGonagall made the arrangements. I don’t want to cause more trouble than necessary. Our things have already been moved.”

A third voice. “I ‘ave no objection. Et es fine. Ze quarters are ver’ nice. Enough. I go.”

 

They watched as Karkaroff, his Head Boy, Victor Krum, and Madam Maxim walked by. Obviously, Karkaroff wasn’t that pleased with the new arrangements. 

After they went by, the three made their way to their dorm where Hermione wondered out loud, “Why would anyone want to stay on that drafty old boat when the refurbished visitors' quarters are so much nicer?”

Yusuke shrugged. “Don’t know, but it’s a bit suspicious. We better keep an eye on Karkaroff. Krum, not sure about. I’ll get with him to see what’s what. Maxime? She’s a smart lady, likes the quarters. That makes Karkaroff’s attitude even odder.”

Neville put an end to the conversation by yawning widely then announcing, “Worry about that later, sleep now. Hermione, get out. I’m going to change.”

Hermione left, yawning herself. “Ok, good night.”

.

Tadaima! Nanika atta - I’m home. What’s up?  
Damare - shut up  
o-he wo koku - honorable fart - Voldemort


	31. Chapter 31

Several people have commented that they can’t wait to see their favorite Tri-Wizard champion. Well, stop and think. JKR had the Tri-Wizard in Harry’s fifth year. This is Seventh Year. All three of the champions that JKR wrote about have graduated, as they were all Seventh Years in her timeline. 

 

Nano 893.31 betaed

The days after the ball were as boring as possible. None of the students from Durmstrang or Beauxbatons seemed to be very social, and they complained loudly about the classes. Yusuke announced that he didn’t care a bit. The classes were terrible. He was going to have to cram hard to take his ICW GEL tests, which he referred to as icejels. 

Hermione, who had finally gotten hold of a practice test set, was dismayed to find that Hogwarts only supplied the equivalent of from First Year to the first term of Fifth Year. Not nearly up to ICW GEL Seventh Year tests. She was furious.

Yusuke eyed Hermione as she began another rant. “Hermione, damare. We’ll all study for it together. As soon as we pass the end-of-term tests. No sense in starting any sooner, as we can’t take the ICW tests until after we graduate in the spring. We’ll start studying ... not sure. You figure out when we should start. I think we need two weeks for each level we need to make up.”

Hermione decided not to argue with Yusuke, just do what he asked. She was sure they needed to start immediately after Christmas at the latest. After a couple of hours they were both forced to admit that they were actually going to have to cram for the whole of next term. Yusuke, used to cramming on a weekly basis, wasn’t fussed at all. Neville whimpered quietly in a corner for a bit. Hermione went off on another rage. She couldn’t believe that the best school in Britain didn’t prepare its students for the ICW GEL’s.

Neville and Yusuke bore with the shouting and screaming without complaint. After all, silencing charms did a lot, especially if Yusuke cast them. Hermione finally calmed down, grabbed a book and started reading.

Yusuke ordered tea.

They spent the rest of the day getting the next week's homework done. Yusuke had every intention of searching out Ivan Raditsky and making sure that the Russian boy wasn’t a member of the Russian Magical Mafia. He didn’t need the aggravation if he was.

It was finally time for dinner, so they went down to the Great Hall to eat.

Yusuke wasn’t all that surprised to be met at the door by Gozpodin Raditsky.

“Gozpodin Miyamoto, a moment, if you please.” The boy offered a proper heel click and Russian-style bow.

“Of course.” Yusuke bowed back, keeping his eyes on the boy.

Ivan nodded to the inner courtyard. “Shall we walk?”

“Yes.” Yusuke led the way, keeping Ivan in the corner of his eye.

They walked to the far side of the courtyard before they began their conversation.

“Ok. This is good, yes?” Yusuke waited to see what Ivan would say.

“I am not mafia. I do not ... wish to ... My English.” Ivan shrugged.

Yusuke made a face but continued the conversation in Russian. “So, you are Mafia?”

“Oh, no. I had heard that you did not like Russians. I was afraid there would be trouble because of that.” Ivan looked relieved.

“I don’t mind Russians, as long as they stay in Russia. We have no ... fight. Yes?” Yusuke looked at Ivan.

“No. We have no fight. I’m only here to participate in the Tri-Wizard. If my name is selected. Are you hoping to compete?”

Yusuke made a face. “No. Actually, I’m not. I don’t see any sense in it. I’m not particularly interested in fame and my personal fortune is large enough that 1000 galleons is ... chump change.” he said the last in English as it didn’t really translate into Russian.

“I see. Well. I think our conversation has borne fruit. Yes?” Ivan bowed and walked away.

Yusuke watched, then bowed to Viktor Krum. “Hello.”

Viktor nodded. “Hello. Trouble?”

“No. How was your season?” Yusuke knew that Krum had graduated two years ago and so he wondered why he was here.

“The season went well. We won, of course. I am teaching flying and Quidditch at Durmstrang in the off season. It keeps my hand in.” Krum looked slightly pleased with himself.

“Ah. I did wonder. Are you putting your name in?” Yusuke wondered about that.

“No. Only students are allowed. I am an instructor, so I am not eligible.” He shrugged negligently.

“Too bad. I am not putting my name in either.” At Krum’s raised eyebrow, he explained again. “I don’t want fame―too much trouble, as I’m sure you’re aware. And I don’t need the money. Waste of my time.” Yusuke pulled a cigarette out of the air and offered it to Krum. He shook his head. “No? Well, too bad, but ...” He walked back to the Great Hall, Krum beside him. They entered the hall and went to their seats.

Headmistress McGonagall glanced at Yusuke, Yusuke just smiled sweetly and shook his head. She went on about her meal, satisfied that, whatever it was, was dealt with.

Hermione hissed, “Trouble?”

“No, actually avoiding some. Please be awed.” Yusuke took a platter of sushi and helped himself to most of it.

Hermione snorted into her tea, then giggled. Neville just rolled his eyes. 

The meal concluded with a whimper, rather than a bang. 

As they left the Great Hall, Yusuke spotted Draco Malfoy.

Draco was in a snit. He’d wanted his wand and so had asked the Seventh Year Prefect to open the box for him. The information that only a member of faculty over thirty could do so had come as a nasty shock. He’d remembered hearing Yusuke say something about that but he’d been so angry that he’d missed the significance. Now, he was without defense in Slytherin. Head of House had put out the word that he wasn’t going to tolerate any sort of foolishness, but who knew what someone would get into their head and carry out without warning. 

He was also pissed because he needed his special grooming charms. Or so he thought. The fact that no one else seemed to notice also put him in a nasty mood.

But, he was well aware that his godfather was Aim’s Ace from disowning him, and his Head of House was most displeased. That they were one and the same, made it even worse. He was now dismally aware that he was cursed. How or by whom he wasn’t sure, but he had to have been cursed. 

He’d even had Poppy Pomfrey check him. She said that he wasn’t actually cursed by magic, but she opined that he’d just used up all his luck not getting himself killed. She advised him to keep his head down, stay out of trouble, and hope that things started looking up in his life after he graduated.

He’d reluctantly decided that she was right. And so was Severus Snape. He was a stupid boy who needed to grow up. It was a very bitter potion to swallow and he was choking on it. But he was determined not to be like his father, running off to the continent instead of standing firm as a Malfoy should. He just wasn’t sure how he should stand firm, or exactly what that really meant. He was relying on ‘Uncle’ Severus to show him. 

So it was that he bowed his head slightly to Yusuke and tried to look inoffensive. He didn’t quite manage it, although he did manage to look less snide than usual. 

Yusuke just raised an eyebrow. He turned to follow Hermione and Neville back to the juku to finish a few reports.

Hermione spent the evening doing up a study timetable for the next term; she was ready to chew nails and took that out in her outline. She meant to make the Board of Governors cringe. She was going to send it to them with a polite note, asking why she had to revise on her own to make sure she could pass her ICW GEL’s. 

Yusuke was amused. The ICW had been after the British for years to revamp the curriculum and been ignored. This was one reason he hadn’t wanted to come to Hogwarts, the other being, 'no one ordered him but his father.'

Neville spent the evening in the same way Yusuke did, reading reports, financial forecasts, and, in Yusuke’s case, recommendations on who needed a tune-up and who needed their knees broken. It seemed that the residents of Knockturn Alley were getting a bit out of hand with the protected businesses there. 

Yusuke picked four of the worst offenders and sent a note to Remus to see what he could do. The businessmen’s association would be their eyes, but one of the oyabun’s inner circle had to do the work on this. 

After waiting for over an hour for a reply, Yusuke burst out, “Chikusho! This damn box is compromised again. I sent a note over an hour ago. No answer yet.”

Neville replied, a bit absently, “Well, I’ve sent a few letters that haven’t been answered yet. Put a tracker on something and send it. Go find our mail.”

Yusuke did that and followed the tracking charm to Dumbledore’s personal quarters. He wasn’t in, of course, so Yusuke just broke in and got his mail. There was also mail from Neville to his Gran and Hermione to her parents. He snarled, smashed the receiving box and left a very nasty note.

Back in the Juku, Hermione was worrying about what might happen. “Neville, he’ll kill that old fool and get in all kinds of trouble. We need to figure out something.”

Neville shrugged. “I’ll suggest that he have someone on hand, right here, to take messages. Rub in the fact that our usual methods are all unreliable. McGonagall will just sigh and roll her eyes. Dumbledore might try to interfere...” he scowled. “I’d like to see him try that bit.”

Hermione blinked. “Why?”

Neville grumbled, “I don’t see why there’s no class for Muggleborn. Damn it.” he rubbed his face. “I’m the Scion and Heir of an Ancient and Noble House. Gran is my Regent until I’m of age. Fiscal Age. Yusuke is the same, as well as being under the protection, as an adopted son, of a House so old there’s no title for it. And, unless I’m sadly mistaken, he's also got the sanction of the Emperor. Dumbledore has stuck his hand into a dragon's mouth,” he smirked. “Beside all that. Dumbledore has gotten on the wrong side of two Marauders and the son of another. I’d keep at least twenty feet between myself and him at all times. If I were you.”

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, shut it, then opened it again. Neville watched for a moment then commented, “Nice carp impression,” then started to laugh. Hermione joined him.

Yusuke stormed in in the middle of that and demanded, “What the fuck is so funny?”

Neville shrugged. “The fact that Dumbledore stuck his hand in a dragon’s mouth and doesn’t even realize it. I want you to provide me with a personal messenger that stays here at Hogwarts at all times. You need one too. And Hermione needs a way to summon one at need. And rub Dumbledore’s face in the fact that we can’t trust our mail delivery methods and that we know he’s the reason why.”

Yusuke gave Neville a sly smile. “You are nearly as devious as I am. Excellent idea. I’ll also have a word with ... Shiriusu-Oji. He’ll have a fit.”

Hermione nodded. “He will. But put something nasty in that mail box every now and then.”

Yusuke handed her her mail. “Can’t. I smashed the other end. Left a nasty note too.”

Hermione sighed. “Well, shit. Too bad, that. But what is, is.” she flipped through her mail and grumbled. “Daddy is gonna have a cow. Can I get a waka to deliver this with an explanation?”

“Sure. I’m going down to Ken No Ie and see Remusu-aniki and Shiriusu-Oji. And do not tell me I’m not allowed. This is the last straw. The Ministry is going to get a formal complaint from Watashinochichi. I’m going to send him a letter, after I get to Ken No Ie. Deki sokonai! Baka!”

Hermione just agreed, “Yes, they are all bastards and idiots. Unfortunately, they’re also the accepted government of the magical community. It’s really pathetic.”

“And they wonder why I don’t want to be here.” Yusuke folded right from the juku.

.

Sirius Black was still a Marauder at heart so, when Yusuke told him what was still going on, he just smirked. “So, you broke the box?” Yusuke shrugged. “Ok, I can deal with that easily.” he called a man in and asked for a box, had Yusuke describe the one he’d broken and sent the man off to find what turned out to be a standard, inexpensive mail box. He then had the man take it out and told him to send it to Dumbledore without any note or return address. The waka just smirked and went.

Remus Lupin left to deal with the problem in Knockturn Alley, refusing Yusuke’s offer to accompany him. He was pissed in general and at Dumbledore in particular. He didn’t understand how someone who was supposed to be so wise could act so foolishly. It didn’t make sense.

Yusuke summoned two gaki by telling the nearest waka to get him the two most reliable men available. They soon arrived and he told them to pack their things as they would be accompanying him back to Hogwarts. McGonagall would have a fit, but that was just tough. He was tired of catering to British sensibilities and was done with it. He would have his tea when he wanted it and smoke a pipe he didn’t have to fill himself. He was also done with eating in the noisy and crowded Great Hall, except for Dinner. He did remember that he’d promised McGonagall-sensei to eat one meal a day there.

He was going to the dojo to work out and try to lose some of his temper, so he told his gumi he was going back to Hogwarts and to get the gaki there double quick.

.

It turned out that a trip to the dojo was exactly what Yusuke didn’t need.

Some French idiot had decided that a locked door needed to be unlocked and had appealed to Madam Maxime to open it. She’d seen no reason not to and done so, overpowering Yusuke’s locking spells easily. He hadn’t seen any reason to do more than a simple lock to keep curious people from wandering in and out.

He should have known better. 

Now he was faced with a dojo full of giggly French girls, all wearing shoes. His bellow froze them all in their destructive tracks.

“Out! All of you! Get out!” He followed that with the same in French. “Sortez! Chacun d'entre vous! Sortez!” then followed that with a stream of invective in French, Japanese and Russian.

The silly things all began arguing with him, which didn’t help things at all. Finally, one of the older girls managed to get all the others to be quiet until they could sort this out. Luckily for her, she spoke French. English would have seen the last of Yusuke’s temper shredded.

“Misur, we do not understand. This is a public room, yes? So, why are you so irate at us using it? Please to explain.” She gave Yusuke a prim, proper, down her nose look

“Well, first, it’s not a public room. Second, you’ve destroyed the tatami mats and dirtied the floor with your shoes. This is a dojo. Not a meeting room. And it was locked because it’s my private dojo. All the things you have dirtied and destroyed are my private property. Now, everyone out before I lose what is left of my temper. And when, not if, when, I find out who unlocked that door there will be hell to pay.” Yusuke glanced around and saw one of the younger girls about to unsheathe a wakizashi. “Leave that! Damn it, you’re like a bunch of monkeys.” He swiftly made his way to the girl and snatched the wakizashi from her hand. 

The girl let out a squeak then indignantly declared, “Well, I wasn’t going to hurt it.”

Yusuke just shoved the wakizashi back into her hands snarling, “Fine, then. Cut off a few fingers. See if I care. But don’t come running to me for help when you’re bleeding on my floor.”

Madam Maxime came in just then, summoned by a first year, who had decided it the better part of valor. 

“What is going on here?” She glanced around, realized that the ‘public room’ wasn’t so public after all. She was going to have a few choice words with the young, self-important, ‘entitled’ noble woman who’d requested her to unlock the lounge room for them.

The babble of explanation, excuses and recriminations left her furious. “Enough! I see that you have not done as you ought. This is not a public room. This is a salle des armes. You should all have known better. Mademoiselle de Cote, I will speak further with you, later. Now. Repair what you can. You will pay for the rest. Out of your pin money. Do you understand? And one three-hour detention, each. Now, apologize to the young master on your way out.” She rounded on the girl with the wakizashi still clutched in her hands. “Another detention for you for handling weapons without permission and another for insolence.” 

She turned to Yusuke and nodded regally, which did her no good in his eyes. “I am sorry that you have had this ... problem.”

Yusuke eyed her for a moment then asked, with dangerous politeness. “And are you the person who unlocked the door?”

“Yes. Mademoiselle de Cote explained to me that the door to one of the public lounges was unexplainably locked. I unlocked it for her.” Madam Maxime wasn’t seeing the problem. She had apologized after all.

“Very well. I will explain then. This room is off limits to anyone not at least a fifth dan black belt in at least two arts, one of them the sword. Or my students. Do realize that there are only two. There is also a Juku in the short corridor down the hall from Gryffindor tower. It is a private office for me, Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger. If I find that your very nosy young ladies have intruded in here again or in my office there will be consequences that you do not want to deal with. Do I make myself clear?”

Madam Maxime got on her high horse at once. “You see here, young man. I will not have such insolence.”

Yusuke drew himself up to his full height and put on the manners of a Yakuza Kumicho. “I do not believe we have been properly introduced. I am Miyamoto Yusuke, Kumicho of the Kakushi Kazoku. Watashi yorokobanakerete ora. This mess is inexcusable.” He glowered at her for a moment then, catching a movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned and snarled, "Nani gan kureten da yo?!" 

The gaki flinched, bowed and continued bowing as he exclaimed, “So sorry, Kumicho, I came. What is this? What has happened?”

Yusuke explained in rapid Japanese, loaded with Yakuza slang and profanity. 

The gaki sighed, “Ma-ma. This is very bad.” And with that he just began herding the girls out, demanding that they take their shoes off before they took a step, never mind that the tatami and floor were already scarred beyond repair. 

After a quick glance at a white faced and furious Madam Maxime they all scurried out, apologizing as they fled. Madam followed them to the door.

At the door she stopped and sighed. “I am afraid that we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I am sorry for the mess. I will send my people to mend it. A bit of magic and it will all be ...” she stopped at Yusuke’s head shake.

“No. Magic will not fix it. The tatami cannot be mended with magic, nor can the floor. They will all have to be replaced. You will get a bill. Obandesu.” And with that he was gone.

.

Madam rounded on Mademoiselle de Cote and demanded, “Just exactly what were you thinking when you lied to me?”

The young woman opened her mouth, closed it then managed, in a sulky tone, “Well, I wanted to have a place away from our rooms. Some...”

Madam snorted. “Someplace for an assignation, I think. Sososo. We are now in the black books of someone devoutly to be in the good books of. I shall assign you an essay.” And with that, she grabbed the young lady by the ear and towed her off, announcing, “And you will not leave your quarters unescorted by faculty for the entirety of our stay. Be silent.”

Yusuke was now beyond furious and well on the way to insanely angry. He decided a run would clear his head and took off, changing his clothing and shoes into running gear as he went. He knew if he didn’t work off some of his fury he’d do something his father wouldn’t approve of.

.

Hermione looked around. “Neville? Yusuke should be back by now.”

Neville glanced up. “So he should. I’ll go look for him. You stay here in case he comes back before I do.”

“Ok. Just ... I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Neville was just in time to overhear a couple of the French girls complaining that ‘de Cote’ had gotten them into trouble again. He confronted them and demanded to know what had happened. 

They didn’t want to tell him but he insisted. The resulting story made him grit his teeth and tell them that their behavior was unacceptable and they’d better get back to French territory before a Slytherin hexed them. They scurried away.

Neville wrote Hermione a quick note and folded it into an origami bird. He tapped it with his finger and whispered, “Hermione.” It fluttered away and Neville continued his search for his friend.

Neville found Yusuke in the outer keep, just completing his first lap around the castle. “Bad?”

Yusuke jogged in place. “Yeah. I left a man to fix it. It’ll probably be two or three days. The Old Nanny has told all the elves that they’re forbidden to do our cleaning and such. I asked.”

Neville transfigured his clothing to match Yusuke’s. “That’s just too bad. Idiot. We’ll just have to work out somewhere else until the dojo is fixed. Somewhere ... outside.”

Yusuke took a moment to think about that, then he grinned. “Well, there is an inner courtyard. It’s not much used. Between the old wing and the outer wall. On the loch side.”

“Yes. But ...” Neville smirked at Yusuke. “I do believe all the windows in that courtyard let into the wing that the visitors are using.”

Yusuke smirked back. “And we should care about that? Why?”

“No idea. After all, it’s not like we didn’t have a perfectly nice dojo. Until someone destroyed it. Seems fair to me.” And with that remark, he trotted off on his first round of the castle.

Yusuke followed him. Neither one of them saw the small bug that followed them.

.

Rita Skeeter had been following young Miyamoto for the most part of the last three weeks or so. She was sure that there was a juicy story in here somewhere, she just wasn’t sure exactly where. She had no idea of Yakuza; most of Magical Britain either knew nothing, or just enough to be smart. The higher levels were equally divided between those who knew and those who didn’t, the middle class had no clue and the lower class, rudely called thugs and thieves, were mostly scared shitless of them. Rita was in the middle class.

Alastor Moody was also watching Neville and Yusuke run. He was not afraid of Yusuke or any other Yakuza. He was, however, cautious. He didn’t want to survive the first Voldemort War, several raids on various Death Eater safe houses, the loss of his eye, part of his nose and a leg, all in different attacks, only to die at the hands of a pissed off 17-year-old. He kept to the shadows and just watched. 

After doing several laps around the castle proper, Yusuke and Neville produced swords from somewhere and began kata. The fact that this particular kata contained an inordinate number of kiai, the sharp shout that supported the ki of an attack or defense, was ignored by both young men. 

Headmistress McGonagall, well aware of the disaster of the dojo, waited for Madam to come complain to her about the yelling. She wasn’t disappointed when Madam didn’t.

Madam Maxime, for her part, was very good with silencing spells. In a school full of giggling girls she had to be. She just silenced her rooms and went back to reading. It was still early evening so she had no intention of going to bed anytime soon.

The girls, on the other hand, were annoyed in the extreme; the Wizarding Wireless had a series of readings, a chapter a night and they were missing it. All the shouting was very distracting.

They elected one of the seventh years to go to Madam and ask her to get them to be quiet.

Madam answered her door, the silencing spell only kept screaming and ‘girl’ noises out, knocks it did not. “Oi? What do you want?”

“Madam. Those boys are out in the courtyard, yelling their heads off. Make them stop, we are missing the reading.” The girl gave Madam a hopeful look.

She was to be disappointed. “I see. So, you destroy their dojo, their salle, then want to run them out of the only other place they have to work out. I think not. We are guests here, consideration for our hosts is a must. Something the lot of you seem to have forgotten. Blame missing your show on the proper people. Good night.” And with that she shut the door, gently, in the young lady’s face.

Genevieve sighed and went away. Her return to their common room was met with hopeful looks. She shook her head. “Madam says that she won’t. Some ... people made it impossible for them to work out in their ... do jo? so they’re out there instead. Someone try another silencing charm.”

Meanwhile, the boys of Durmstrang were just watching the show. Several of the younger ones tried imitating the moves, only to be told by Professor Krum to stop before they hurt themselves.

Yusuke finally called a halt to the exercise as he was sweating heavily. Neville was just plain wasted. 

“Damn it, Yusuke, what lit a fire under your butt?” Neville conjured a handkerchief into a towel.

Yusuke did the same and said, “Just everything all together, then the dojo. Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. And the back of my neck is still crawling. Someone is watching us, but I can’t figure out who.”

Neville wiped the back of his neck and allowed, “I feel it too. And, as to the dojo, the gaki will call in someone else to help him and we’ll be back in it in a day.”

Yusuke shook his head. “Don’t think so. He said at least three days. I think it’ll take that long to fix the floors. Those heels that those silly girls wear are sharp. They gouged the floor to bits. And the tatami are totally destroyed. You didn’t see.”

Neville grumbled, “Well, shit. Let’s go get Hermione and get a better look, now that it’s cleared out.”

“Ok.” Yusuke plucked a cigarette out of his mallet space and handed it to Neville. “Don’t have to actually smoke it, but stick it in the corner of your mouth and let it smolder. Yes?”

Neville scorned that and returned, “I’ll smoke it, thank you. I’m learning. And, since wizards can’t get cancer from smoking, I’m actually enjoying it. Thanks. And, you have to teach me how to do that thing.”

“The mallet space?” Yusuke gestured vaguely.

“Yeah, really useful. I’m always losing things I need because I put them down. If they won’t fit in my pockets, I’m doomed. And some things, as you know very well, don’t shrink properly, or are damaged.” Neville changed his sweaty workout clothes into clean robes. “And thanks for teaching me this trick.”

Yusuke followed suit but warned, “It’s good for a quick clean up but remember that the change will not eliminate the smell for long.”

Neville made a face but had to laugh, “True, and the thought of wearing sweaty clothing isn’t the best. But ... we’ll just run up to the dorm and change, find Hermione and head back to the dojo. Right?”

“Yes.” Yusuke made for the gate between the courtyard and the covered walkway back to the main hall.

They trotted through Hogwarts, making their way up the still unmoving staircases and into Gryffindor, where they ran right into Ron Weasley.

“Oi! That man of yours isn’t allowed.” Ron put on what Neville called his ‘so there’ face.

Yusuke just mushed him and went on, calling, “Tadaima!” as he climbed the stairs.

Hermione, who was sitting in a settle by the fireplace, buried her face in her hands, mumbling, “Shimata, Ron, you never learn.”

Neville, on the other hand, dealt with the red head easily, “Weasley, shut the fuck up. You’re treading on thin ice as it is. You mess with Yusuke one time too many and you’ll think the Terrible Twins are angels. Seriously.”

Ron sputtered then demanded, “Ok, so, when McGonagall says he has to go ... what then?”

Neville shook his head. “Weasley, your lack of respect for our head of house and headmistress is most distressing. As to the gaki, he’ll stay until Yusuke-san says he goes. As Head of an Ancient and Noble House, he’s allowed three manservants. And, come to think of it, so am I. So deal.”

Neville then climbed the stairs, two at a time. 

When he reached the top he announced, “Yusuke-sama, I have a favor to ask of you.”

Yusuke turned from speaking with the lone gaki. “Sama? It must be a big favor. Ask.”

Neville shrugged. “Weasley is annoying. In an effort to put him in his place and make a point that I should have forced the issue on last year. Um ... getting convoluted here. Anyway, will you loan me three of your men for the remainder of the year? Of course, I’ll take over their salaries and maintenance.”

Yusuke shrugged, “Why three?”

“That’s how many both of us are allowed, according to Hogwarts rules and regulations. You’ll find the pertinent quotation under, ‘Exceptions for Heads of Noble and or Ancient Families.’ You’re entitled to three men as well. We are not, however, allowed our mistresses.” Neville grinned wickedly.

Yusuke cracked up, only taking time to translate for the non-English speaking gaki. The gaki cracked up too. 

Yusuke nodded. “I’ll do that. And I’m going to have Shiriusu-Oji send me two more men. I’m hoping for Englishu speakers but don’t really care. I’ll let you have the good speakers, so that you can speak to them.”

Neville contemplated that for a moment then allowed, “That’s pretty white of you. But I’ll be wanting to speak Japanese with them. In order to improve my speech.”

“Ok. I’ll do that.” he turned to the gaki and said, “Oi! You, go to Ken No Ie and pick out four more men. Make sure they speak English. Go!”

The gaki bowed and scurried out. 

.

Hermione eyed Ron with a disgusted expression on her face. “Oh, Ron, really! You’re such a prat. You just don’t know when to give it up.”

Ron sulked and flopped into a chair. “I just don’t see why he gets special privileges.”

Hermione’s reasonable answer of, “Because he’s the hope of the Ministry. He’s supposed to protect us from ... what did he call him? Oh, yeah, Honorable Fart. That’s why.”

Ron snorted. “Yeah, right. He’s our age. What’s he gonna do?”

Hermione thought about that for a minute. “Well, hex him, shoot him, cut off his head, blow him up, poison him, separate him from his financing, scare off most of his supporters and in general make Lord Thingy’s life miserable. So ... if you really have a death wish, keep it up.”

Ron growled, slammed out of the chair and stormed up the stairs. He just wasn’t lucky today, as his sudden entrance startled Neville, who laid him out on the floor with one punch.

Neville eyed Ron for a moment then said, with considerable blandness, “Well, damn. Sorry about that, Weasley but you shouldn’t startle me like that.”

Yusuke gave up and fell over, laughing like a maniac. Neville gave him a disgusted glower but didn’t say anything; instead he dragged Ron to his feet and dumped him on his bed.

“Stay there and shut up.” Neville sat down on his own bed and sighed. “He’s just ... stupid. Please don’t kill him.”

Yusuke considered this while he got himself together. “Why not?”

“Well, he’s just an idiot. People would talk about you. And it would upset both Headmistress McGonagall and his Mother. So don’t. Not that you can’t smack him around a bit.” Neville pulled a book out of his headboard and read a bit. “It’s even expressly forbidden in the Hogwarts bylaws. See?” he handed the book to Yusuke who read, tossed the book back and shrugged.

“Well, okay then. A bit disappointing, but there you are.” Yusuke shrugged, finished stripping down, and headed for the showers. Neville followed him quickly.

They showered quickly and returned to the dorm to find Ron gone. Their clothing was laid out on their beds, so they dressed quickly. 

Hermione was waiting for them, still seated in her settle. “Well, it’s about time. You do know that Ronnykins is going to be more and more of a problem. He settled down for awhile, but his jealousy and sense of entitlement is going to get worse until you do something about it.” She frowned at her book for a moment. “Well, this isn’t going to put itself up.”

Yusuke held out his hand. “Give it to me. I’ll keep it for you.” He took the book and put it away. “We’re going down to check on the dojo. You’ll weep when you see the floors, never mind the mats.”

Hermione had already heard, via Lavender Brown, what had happened. She was just as annoyed as Yusuke and Neville. “Yes, I do wonder what made them think they had the right to open a locked door. Really!”

Neville offered his opinion. “Nothing against the French, but some of those girls are loose as a broken lock. I believe that several of them just wanted a place to get laid.”

Hermione blinked. “Well, I suppose so. But that’s seriously stupid. Really. Do they think Madam Maxime doesn’t have some way to know exactly what they’re doing? Professor McGonagall told us that she knows what we’re up to and Madam Maxime is surely as smart as she is.”

Yusuke frowned. “Now how does she do that, I am wondering?”

Neville sighed. “Chastity wards. Hogwarts has them. You can snog, and maybe fondle a little. But anything more and the staff knows.”

Hermione nodded, “That’s right. And, oh man, do they come down on you like a ton of bricks. Lavender told me that Parvati told her that that Slytherin seventh year, Gloria something-or-other, got caught with her hand down Tobias Sotheby’s pants. And he had his hand down hers. They’re on detention with Hagrid for the rest of the term.”

Neville frowned. “Well, serves them right. It’s not like they’re engaged to each other or anything. In fact, I think they’re engaged to someone else. Not good.”

Yusuke shrugged, “You’re a prude, Neville-san. Who cares about that sort of thing anyway? Just hire yourself a ...” 

Hermione smacked him on the shoulder. “No, you do not. Not in England. Not in the Wizarding World. Let’s drop this whole subject. It’s boring. I don’t care who’s boinking who, as long as they’re not trying to boink me.”

Neville laughed. “Well, ok then. Dojo.”

They’d made it to the dojo while they were talking. 

Hermione took one look at the floors and flipped out. “Well, that tears it. I declare a vendetta against those silly girls. They’ve done nothing but cause trouble since they’ve gotten here. I do ... I swear. Really!”

Yusuke took time to speak to the waka in charge of fixing the floor. It would take them, the waka agreed, at least two days to fix it and probably three. 

Yusuke caught a flicker out of the corner of his eye and summoned the elf to him. “Come to me, little one. Speak your mind freely.”

The elf wrung his long fingered hands, squeaked a few times then announced, “We is so sorry sir. We is not being allowed to be helping you, or fixing anything for you, or be cleaning for you. Headmaster Dumbledore’s orders. We is to be working on this Tri-Wizard foolishness.”

Yusuke thought for a moment. “Tell me this. Why haven’t you brought your dissatisfaction to Acting Headmistress McGonagall’s attention? I’m sure Dumbledore didn’t order you not to.”

“Oh, but he is. We is not knowing how to get around it.” The elf frowned at Yusuke for a moment.

Yusuke smirked at the elf. “I’ll let her know myself. You go on about your work now. And don’t worry. We know exactly where to put the blame.”

Neville shook his head. “Do you think Dumbledore actually wants you to do a runner, or is he just totally oblivious?”

Hermione gave her vote. “He’s totally oblivious. No one would dare to do other than what Dumbledore wants. He’s so busy being him that he forgets that not everyone can see his glory. Ass.” Her sarcasm was wonderful to hear.

Neville nodded. “Exactly. Between the ICW being especially difficult about the Tri-Wizard and the Wizengamot trying to pass all sorts of stupid laws, he’s absent more than he’s present. That’s actually a good thing. It keeps him from doing stupid things for our own good.”

Yusuke snickered. “That’s the stupidest thing he says. How the hell can he know better than we do what’s good for us? He doesn’t even know us. As for me, I just want him and the Wizengamot to leave me the hell alone. Father wants my Potter money; I don’t care. I’ll make my own money from hard work and be satisfied. He doesn’t want to give the English anything that belongs to family. The ICW has refused to force the British Ministry to give it up, or they can’t, I’m not sure which. So I’m stuck here until Voldemort is whacked. Sucks.”

Neville gave Yusuke a sympathetic look. “It does. Why should you have to do their dirty work? I ... seriously.”

Yusuke smoked and shrugged. “Well, truthfully, it’s not like I’m not getting paid for it. And taking them to the cleaners while I’m at it, too. But I hate being forced. Besides all that, they’re making me earn my inheritance.”

Hermione sighed. “That’s just not right. But...” she brightened. “I’m sure you’re doing your best to stick it to them good.” she grinned. “If you need any help, let me know. I’m not good at much, but I can research like a demon. Ok?” Yusuke nodded. “Great. Now, something silly. I know you plan for me to use one of your men to carry my mail to my parents. but ... could I borrow one to go to buy me books?”

Yusuke bowed slightly. “Of course. Just give him a list. What do you have on that wonderfully devious brain of yours?”

“I believe you mean mind. And, I’m not sayin’.” Her singsong made both boys smile. 

They left the dojo in the capable hands of the waka and went to the Great Hall. It was nearly 10 pm now but there was still a cold collation on. The guest schools had insisted that it was a necessity and Acting Headmistress McGonagall had agreed, mostly to spite Dumbledore, who wanted to put off dinner until 9pm. Something that McGonagall had declared to be ‘pur daft’.

Yusuke picked up a small half-moon-shaped pie. “Mmm, pie. Wonder what kind it is?”

Headmistress McGonagall walked up behind him and said, “Cornish.”

Yusuke blinked. “And what kind is that?”

McGonagall handed him a plate. “Meat. Poke a hole in the top and pour in some gravy. It’ll be so dry you’ll choke else.”

Yusuke followed her instructions and sat down to eat. “Join me a moment, if you please.”

She sat down and a cup of tea popped into existence in front of her. “Very well. You have something to say, say it.”

“Yes, Sensei. First, I wish to file a complaint over the invasion of my dojo and subsequent destruction of the mats and floors. Madam Maxime bears some guilt but most of it falls on the ... whoever convinced her to unlock the door. Perhaps an announcement that doors are locked for a reason? Yes? And the second thing. Most of the elves in Hogwarts are most upset. Dumbledore has expressly forbidden them to help me. They’re wanting to clean and fix things. They are not happy at all that they can’t fix my dojo for me. I’ve got my men working on it but it’ll take three days. Also, Neville’s mail and mine, as well as Hermione’s, has been interfered with again. Therefore, I will be loaning Neville three of my men to serve him as needed. I’ll also have three men to serve me. As Head of Family, we are both entitled. Hermione will be sending all her mail via one of my men. Any comment?”

Acting Headmistress McGonagall gave him a grim look. “Nothing I can say in front of you. ‘At clatty auld eejit.” she took a deep breath. “Well, enough of that.” After a few sips of tea she allowed. “You can have your men. If any ... well, I don’t...” she returned to her tea, obviously thinking. “Mmm, there’s no others that are actually the head of their family. So ... have at it.”

Yusuke smiled seraphically. “Yes, thank you.” He forked up another bite of his pie. “This is very good.”

“Glad you like it. It’s called Cornish, but I remember my Mother making them. She used to make them with apples in one end and meat and tatties in the other. Da took them to work with him.” she finished her tea and stood up. “I do hope you won’t rub the fact that you have servants in people's faces ... too much. Good evening.”

“Obandesu, McGonagall-sama.” Yusuke stood up as well, bowed, then returned to his seat to finish his meal.

Hermione smiled at him. “Very sly.” She got a bit loud. “I hope the elves might come to one of us if they have a problem that Dumbledore made sure they can’t address themselves.”

Neville nodded at her. “That’s a good idea. Now, finish your food so we can escort you to the tower. It’s past curfew, you know.”

Hermione grumbled, “And that’s another thing to put on Dumbledore’s plate. How can he expect students to both eat late and get back to dorm before curfew?”

Yusuke shrugged, “Don’t know, don’t care. And ... have you seen Filch lately?”

Hermione shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Is Mrs. Norris still hanging around your rooms?”

Neville nodded. “She is. We’ve put her box in the bathroom. The elves keep it clean for us. I guess that’s part of their usual housekeeping. She’s so good. Ron leaves her strictly alone, and she stays off his bed. Dean and Seamus don’t mind her. Seamus likes to pet her while he studies in his bed. Dean, he just walks around her mostly. I’ve caught Ron getting ready to kick her, and that didn’t go over well.” He finished the last of his tea. “I wonder why she’s abandoned Filch?”

Hermione smirked, “Women and cats will do as they please and dogs and men need to get used to it. Filch doesn’t provide her with something she wants. I love playing with her. And Crookshanks likes her. She sleeps with him on my bed a lot. I think they like the sun.”

Neville eyed the tempus he’d cast then announced. “Well, I’m for bed. I don’t know about you, Yusuke-kun, but I’m in need of sleep.”

They made their way back to the dorm and went to bed.

.


	32. Chapter 32

893.32

 

The next morning Headmistress McGonagall made a rather pointed announcement. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my unfortunate duty to make an announcement that I should not have to make. So. A locked door is exactly that: locked. And they are locked for a reason. If you do not have the code to unlock a door, and that code does not include Alohomora, do not open it. Nor should you persuade someone else to open it for you. We have had one incident of this misbehavior; we will not have another. If we do, the offenders will be sent home. Are we clear?” She glowered at the Beauxbatons table. All the girls had the good grace to look ashamed, except for one. She just looked sullen.

The Durmstrang boys whispered amongst themselves, realized that the announcement was aimed more at the other school, and settled to see what might happen.

Hogwarts students had also heard all about the mess. They mostly turned to stare at the Beauxbatons table, whispering and grumbling.

After her announcement, Headmistress McGonagall looked at the Durmstrang table. “Professor Krum? I believe you had something to announce?”

Viktor Krum stood, offered her a Russian style bow and said, “Da, I do. As Professor of Flight, I have joined with your own Professor Hooch to offer a Quidditch clinic today. Beginning at 3pm in the stadium. There will be a clinic for Seekers, Keepers, and other positions. There will also be a clinic on broom-handling and an obstacle course. Please bring your brooms and join us.”

Yusuke eyed Ron, who looked like he was about to burst. “Hermione, take your oar. I’ll take mine. Yes?”

Hermione, who had gotten much more secure due to Yusuke’s teaching, nodded. “Ok. It does sound like fun. I haven’t had a good fly since summer.”

Neville, who was good enough on a broom, decided to take the Beater’s clinic, just for the fun of it. 

Yusuke, Hermione and Neville didn’t have a class, so they headed for the juku. A few students had complained that they didn’t and had been told, by various professors, that they too could skip classes; all they had to do was be at least two weeks ahead on their workbooks and have read all the optional assignments up to date. And pass the weekly tests that the three took. 

None of the other students took them up on the offer, not even any Ravenclaws. 

The Ravenclaws realized how much work the group put into their ‘privilege’ The Hufflepuffs weren’t interested. And the Slytherins had been told, by Snape himself, that they weren’t eligible. 

Hermione had found some books on Transfiguration that she thought were interesting. They all settled in to read a book and take notes. They’d change books and, after everyone had read all the books, they’d compare notes and discuss each book. 

Yusuke eyed the book he was reading for a moment then announced, “This book is ... rubbish. It’s mostly wrong. Hermione-chan, why insist we read this one?”

Hermione barely looked up from her book. “Because it is wrong. So very wrong. I thought we could read it, come up with all the ways it’s wrong and write a letter to the editor of the Magical Times. It’s way past time that authors answered for the things they write. And the Prophet! Don’t even get me started on that.”

Neville, who’d suffered through an attack by Rita Skeeter over the summer agreed, adding. “And that bitch Rita Skeeter. I’d like to know how she finds out the things she does. She ...er ... outered my parents.”

Hermione sighed. “I read that, and it’s ‘outed.’ She deserves to be fried like an okonomiyaki.”

Yusuke made a face at that picture. “If I find out that she’s been snooping on me, she’ll meet a sticky end. Very sticky.”

Neville shrugged. “Too bad for her. I’d swat her like a fly, if I thought I could get away with it.” 

Hermione returned to her book, remarking, “Well, we’ll never see her, so get back to work.”

Rita Skeeter, hiding in the rafters of the Great Hall, felt her ears begin to burn. 

.

Hermione glanced out the window, from which she could see the great clock. “It’s noon. I’m hungry.”

Yusuke looked up from his book. “Ok, what do you want?”

Neville answered before Hermione could. “I want something different. Okonomiyaki sounds good. I think I had it at one of your O-sake to things. Flat pancake sort of thing with stuff cooked in it?”

“That’s it.” Yusuke nodded.

Hermione fairly drooled. “Oh, that sounds wonderful. Can we have that? Pretty please?”

Yusuke laughed. “Yes, we can. I’ll have to send for the fixings.” He turned to speak to one of the gaki lounging at the last desk, the one they’d set up for Ron Weasley. He’d never used it, so they had transfigured it into a larger one so that two men could use it. Per Yusuke’s order six men had shown up just after breakfast and settled in to stay.

There wasn’t even any trouble over where they would stay. Hogwarts elves had enlarged the dorm to hold them all. The poor gaki were sleeping in bunk beds; one crowded into the odd nook behind Yusuke’s bed, one crammed between Ron’s and Neville’s beds, and a third one was actually in the short hall between the dorm and the bathing chamber. Mrs Norris wasn’t best pleased with this, as it meant her litter box was now in the chamber itself. But she was pleased that all six gaki seemed to adore her.

Seamus hadn’t said anything about the gaki other than, “I’m not steppin’ over their shit.” Dean hadn’t even said that.

Ron had thrown a wobbly, declaring that he wasn’t sleeping with six snoring men. Yusuke just wondered, out loud, how he’d know they snored over his own snoring. He’d then told Ron to stuff himself before he, Yusuke, did it for him. Ron had shut up. Then he’d gone to speak to their Head of House. Professor McGonagall had sent him away with a flea in his ear.

Now, Yusuke told one of the men. “Okonomiyaki for nine. Bring the things I need.”

One man bowed and left for the kitchens, the other bowed and folded to Ken No Ie to get the griddle.

Both men returned with their companions in tow. They quickly set up the griddle, which was set in the middle of a table called a kotatsu. It actually had a skirt to keep the extra heat in. They arranged zabuton around the table, leaving one side with only one. Facing that they put out two and that left three on each off side. Beside the single seat they arranged all the ingredients for the okonomiyaki, set on a side table within easy reach.

Yusuke checked the temperature of the griddle by dropping some water on it. The drops danced and sizzled. “It’s hot. Who wants what?”

Neville went for shrimp, snow peas and noodles. Hermione just waved her hand and said, “Anything good.” Yusuke didn’t ask the gaki what they wanted; he just started cooking. All the pancake-like goodies got shredded cabbage, carrot, and sweet red peppers. He put flaked white fish on for the gaki and bonito flakes, as well as noodles. Neville got his shrimp and snow peas, while he just threw a bit of everything on Hermione’s. His got shrimp, bonito flakes, noodles, and octopus. He flipped Hermione’s Okonomiyaki first; she liked hers a bit gooey in the middle. Then the gaki all got flipped. Last his and Neville’s; they liked theirs hard. 

Hermione watched with interest, cuddled into the warmth of the kotatsu. “I like this table. It’s always so cold at Hogwarts. The floors are all cold, so this is really nice.” 

Yusuke flipped her okonomiyaki onto a plate, then drizzled it with okonomiyaki sauce, mayo, and a very light dab or two of hot sauce. He handed her plate to her, then turned back to finishing up the rest before something burned. He flipped each cake onto a plate and dressed them, handing them around as they were finished. 

One of the gaki offered his to Neville, only to be told, very kindly, that Neville would wait his turn. This impressed all the gaki very much. 

Yusuke plated up the last two okonomiyaki and handed Neville his. It was naked, as Neville didn’t like the sauce and, frankly, thought anyone that ate mayo on much of anything was nuts. 

“Thanks. Mmmm, smells really good.” And with that they all began to eat. 

It didn’t take long for everyone to finish, refuse seconds, and hand their plates to one gaki, responsible for washing up. One of the other gaki started to break down the table, but Yusuke told him to leave it. “Hermione-chan likes it, so leave it.” The gaki bowed and went away.

Hermione settled back on the zabuton, tucking the skirt around her hips. “Mmm, I really like this. It’s like I haven’t been really warm since I got here.”

Neville moved around the corner of the table and appropriated that side as his. Yusuke watched with some amusement as the two settled to work. He was also freezing most of the time, but he had an ace in the hole: his heating charms were embroidered into his clothing and activated like an ofuda.

They worked until it was time for the workshop.

.

Hermione scurried up to her rooms to fetch her oar. She was excited to try the obstacle course. She wondered if it was standard or just something Professor Krum had come up with.

She rejoined Neville, who was holding his broom, and Yusuke, who had his oar over his shoulder. Ron was also there, lamenting the fact that he was going to have to use one of the elderly, if not ancient, school brooms.

Hermione eyed him for a moment then offered, “Well, I could let you borrow my oar. If you like.”

Ron scorned that, “An oar? No way! That’s just ridiculous. Who ever heard of flying on an oar?”

Hermione gave him an offended glower and snarked, “Suit yourself. See if I care when you look like a novice on one of those antique brooms.” She sniffed irritably and put her oar over her shoulder like Yusuke and turned on her heel. Ron had to duck quickly to avoid getting smacked in the head. 

Yusuke laughed and followed her. Neville didn’t stop chuckling until he was out the door. 

Ron glowered at their backs, realized that he was going to be late to the workshop and would be stuck with the worst broom possible. He scrambled to catch up.

When they arrived at the pitch, they found that the old school brooms were all condemned by Professor Krum as unusable. He’d offered the use of Durmstrang’s second-string brooms; first come, first served. Ron hurried to get in line, knocking a small boy flat. This brought down the wrath of Madam Hooch, who sent Ron to the back of the line with a few choice words. He slouched back, grumbling. On his way he gave the younger boy a dirty look.

The boy watched him shuffle by and, when he was sure Ron couldn’t see, he stuck his tongue out at him. 

Yusuke just sighed and shook his head.

Hermione agreed, saying, “He’s such a child. I just wish he’d work on growing up.”

Neville snorted. “Never happen. You think that kid’s ok?”

Yusuke laughed softly. “He’s fine. The ground is soft still and he only stumbled over his own feet when Ron shoved him.”

Hermione eyed the boy for a moment, “Yes, he’s fine. Let’s go.”

They made their way to the obstacle course, dropping Neville at the Beaters clinic on the way.

The group at the obstacle course was supervised by Krum himself. He’d gotten his teammate, the second-string Seeker, to teach the Seekers clinic. He called the group to order and started to address them when Ron trotted up.

“Sorry I’m late. I wanted the Seekers clinic but it was full up. I didn’t think I needed to sign up early as I’m on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.”

Krum just gave him a fulminating look and began his lecture. “Here in Britain, you don’t have obstacle courses. Why? I don’t know. But they are a wonderful training resource, and in other countries they are also a sport in their own right. As we walk the course, you will see a series of flags; each one indicates some requirement. The numbers tell you what order to take the obstacle in, the color, whether you are to go over, under or around it. You will notice that some have more than one flag, this means you will use that particular one more than once. Be sure to note that you will often go over, or under, the obstacle in question first, then a different direction the second or even third time. Pay attention to the flags as every mistake will cost you points, which are seconds. Even if your time is good, enough faults will cost you as much as 50 points.”

One of the other participants asked, “So how are we scored?”

Professor Krum nodded, “That’s the next point. The higher your score, the lower your rank. Each point is a second, so, obviously, the lower your score the better you did. And for every fault, depending on the fault, seconds will be added to your total. You can finish with the fastest time, but lose because you made too many faults.”

Yusuke eyed the course. “We’re going to do a walkthrough?”

“Da. We will. I don’t want to seem impertinent but ... you have experience?” Krum was looking for an aide and made no bones about it. He was looking at a much larger class than he’d expected.

Yusuke shrugged. “Some, but I do not ... teach well. I tend to get irritated and shout.”

Hermione snickered. “Yes, he does.” She knew very well that Yusuke was a patient teacher, but she also knew that he didn’t want to deal with a whole class of silly children. She didn’t blame him so she helped out.

Krum just shrugged and said, “Ah, too bad.”

It didn’t take him long to sort through the group. He dismissed half a dozen of the younger ones as not skilled enough. There was a bit of pouting over this, but he just sent them off with the simple explanation, “I do not intend for the first thing I do here is get some inexperienced flyer hurt. Go. See Madam Hooch. Scoot.”

They scooted, grumbling. Madam Hooch, who already had a small group of students who’d been removed from their clinics, mostly for the same reasons, had games ready for them to play. She saw this as a good time to improve their skills, so they were mostly skill-builders. Fun, true, but good experience.

Madam Hooch led her little group of misfits off to the games.

While she was getting her group organized, the other clinics were in progress. Professor Krum had brought in the second team Beater, Keeper, Seeker, and Chaser to run a clinic in their speciality. The only group who was having any trouble was the Beater group. And that was because the poor man was already running drills. He’d been silly enough to think that a bunch of school kids wouldn’t be strong enough to be good Beaters. Neville and a Ravenclaw named James Kirkland were in the process of proving him wrong. 

Krum looked his bunch over then noticed, “Ah, I have not seen a Japanese oar in some time. It is a Sugiyama, yes?”

Yusuke nodded. “It is. And so is Hermione’s”

Krum looked impressed. “So. Well, I will show everyone how this is done. Then each one of you will be given a chance to walk, that is, go slowly. You will be careful. If you actually hit one of the obstacles, you will get hurt.” He mounted his broom and flew the course slowly enough that everyone could see how it was done.

He returned to the group and pointed his wand at a box on the ground. “Idvam!” the box shot into his hand. “I have here numbers. Each of you will come draw one. This is the order in which you will take the obstacle course.”

They all drew numbers, cheering or groaning at the result. 

“So, you all have a number? Hold it up.” He made sure that everyone really had a number then ordered, “Good, good. Line up, number one first. Everyone make sure you can see, but stay in order please.”

There was a bit of sorting and shuffling, but everyone stayed orderly. 

Yusuke thwarted an effort on Ron’s part to force a trade—he had number 8, she had number 3. “Weasley, stop that. You’re such a ... baka.” Yusuke put the girl next to Krum. “Keep an eye on her. I’ll keep an eye on Weasley.”

Krum gave Ron a fish-eye, then patted the girl on the shoulder and handed her over to Number 2. 

“We begin. Number One, take your place.” Krum got on his broom and hovered. 

Number One got on his broom and started the course with Krum right on his heels. 

While this was going on, Yusuke was doing more or less what he’d stopped Ron from doing. But he was trading with the last two flyers. Hermione accepted her new number without complaint.

They all watched as numbers one through six took the course. They all did fairly well; no one had a disaster or missed a flag. 

Then Ron came up. He was loudly bragging that he would show them all how it should be done. Krum started to say something to him but, when he caught Yusuke’s eye, refrained. 

Instead of arguing with Ron, Professor Krum motioned to the course and said, “After you.”

Ron grinned at his idol and mounted his borrowed broom. He took off with a healthy kick and soar toward the first obstacle. As he’d actually listened and remembered the instructions, Ron did well, until he had to turn around for the second leg of the course. He flubbed the turn and, instead of going around the second pylon, he went between it and the first one. That was a five-point penalty. This threw him off completely, and he missed the next obstacle, as well as earning another five-point penalty for not going back and correcting himself. He also went under one he was supposed to go over and missed another obstacle. All in all, he earned 30 penalty points. 

Ron landed red-faced and furious. He’d been set to show off for Viktor Krum but only managed to make himself look stupid. His time was the worst, so far. He threw the broom on the ground and claimed that it was off balance and needed to be tuned.

Hermione offered him her oar, saying, “Well, too bad, that. Would you like to try my oar? It’s nice and stable, and Yusuke had it retuned before I brought it home from Japan.”

Ron scorned that. “No, I thank you. A nice, stable, girly oar, instead of a good broom? Don’t think so. Let’s see how good you do.”

Hermione just shrugged, “Ok, your loss. We’ll see how well I do when it’s my turn.”

As there were only three more students between Hermione and Ron, Professor Krum kept his silence. He was already very tired of Ron’s loud mouth and rude ways. He hadn’t said a thing that Ron didn’t loudly agree with, nor offered a bit of advice that Ron didn’t either argue with or repeat as his own. 

Those three students made creditable showings, making decent time and collecting a respectable score. Ron bitched loudly that they had better brooms than he had. He asked, loudly, why he always got the worst of everything. Madam Hooch, overhearing this, came to see what the problem was. 

When Professor Krum told her, she just snorted, waved her wand over the broom and declared it in perfect working order and one of the best of the brooms Krum had brought. “You fly like a drunken pixy, Weasley, no need to blame the poor broom for your faults. Belt up.” She went away to check on another group.

Then Hermione was up. Ron tried to give her advice ‘for her own good’. Her reply was in Japanese, rude, and physically impossible. Yusuke had to lean on his oar to keep from falling down.

Hermione nodded to the professional and said, “When you are ready, Professor Krum.”

He nodded. “I am. Fly at will.”

Hermione kicked off easily and headed for the first obstacle. She flew a bit high so that she could see the flags better. After her first leg, all bets were off as she knew where the obstacles were and which way she needed to go. Her time was the best of the day and half the next best. She’d literally blown the flags off one obstacle. 

“Very good! Great show!” Krum was more than ready to give praise, as he’d already shown. But Hermione’s show had him nearly raving. 

Ron started to say something then snapped his mouth shut when both Hermione and Krum glared at him.

“Next, Gozpodin Miyamoto. Please.” Krum bowed slightly.

“Thank you, Gozpodin Krum.” Yusuke settled on his floating oar and smiled at Hermione. Then he shot off, gaining full speed in seconds, well before he hit the first obstacle. He wove in and out, up and down, at a speed that had Krum dropping back after the second obstacle. He rounded the pylon and began the second half. Everyone, except Hermione, was sure he’d have to slow down, but he didn’t; it seemed that the even sped up a bit. He roared across the finish line, actually making one younger girl's robes flip up. She squealed and pushed them down, glad that they’d shown a glimpse of her jeans instead of pants. 

Yusuke nodded to Krum. “Good?”

Krum eyed his stop watch charm. “Da. You have taken the day. Six seconds off Miss Granger’s time. Very good. Both of you had a clean run, but you’re just a bit faster.”

Hermione smirked at Ron. Ron threw her a dirty look. “I thought you didn’t like to fly.”

His sullen tone put her off so she just snarked, “Well, I like to fly now. Now that I’ve got a comfortable, stable ride. And a teacher who wasn’t so full of himself that he scared me half to death first thing out of the gate. So ... Bite me.”

Ron glared, then stormed off, announcing that he was going to complain to Madam Hooch that oars weren’t regulation. Hermione shouted, “Good luck with that,” after him.

The rest of the clinic consisted of having the students with the slowest times try again. Yusuke and Hermione were allowed to fly a different course that was set up outside the pitch. They were joined by a girl from Beauxbatons and two boys, one from Hogwarts and one from Durmstrang. The Hogwarts student was from Ravenclaw and neither Yusuke nor Hermione knew him. None of them knew the boy from Durmstrang, obviously.

They took turns flying the course, scoring each other and offering advice. They were called in by Madam Hooch, flying called on account of dusk falling. 

They started on their way back to Hogwarts, brooms, or oars, over their shoulders, chattering happily. They joined the larger group and finished the journey comparing times and faults. 

The group split up in the front courtyard and headed in to their dorms to clean up for dinner.

.

Things went on as usual for the next weeks. Yusuke and Neville worked out together. Hermione went down to Ken No Ie to work with one of the waka on Saturday morning. They skipped more classes than they attended, but they took tests every Friday to prove they were doing their work. Assignments were done and handed in daily. Ron bitched about the gaki and was told, repeatedly, by Headmistress McGonagall that they were within their rights and to leave it be.

December 20th finally arrived, and with that date, bright and early, the Goblet of Fire was placed in the middle of the Entry Hall, right in front of the doors to the Great Hall.

Dumbledore was there to supervise the placement and nearly drove the four men from the Ministry to distraction by having them move it half a dozen times. It wound up exactly where Headmistress McGonagall wanted it. Then Dumbledore made a great show of putting up the age line, waving his wand and chanting on interminably. At least half the watching students began to yawn in the first two minutes.

Finally finishing, he declared, “There! That should do it. Now you can begin to put your names in. Please be orderly. Mister Potter, feel free to step to the head of the line.”

Yusuke eyed him for a moment then drawled, “And why would I wish to do that? I have no intention of entering this stupid thing. One of the main reasons it was discontinued in 18 what-ever-it-was is because at least one of the entrants died in every year. No, I thank you, my life is dangerous enough as it is, without entering this insanity.” He gave Dumbledore a bare nod of his head and left for the juku.

Alastor Moody watched him go then mumbled to Professor McGonagall. “Well, good for you. But, and I say this with all due respect, good luck with that, young man.”

Headmistress McGonagall opined, “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if his name comes out of the Goblet anyway. Disappointed, but not surprised.” She sighed, checked the age line, then went to supervise keeping order among the students who wanted to put their names in. Dumbledore was, not a surprise, gone again.

The groups of students watched as Ron Weasley strutted up, announcing, “Make way, make way. Hogwarts champion coming through.” He dropped his name into the Goblet with a flourish and ambled off.

Professor Snape took the opportunity to speak to Draco. “You’re not putting your name in?”

Draco scoffed softly. “No, you have reminded me several times that I am not stupid. Then you always ask me why I do such stupid things. I have taken your advice to heart.” He looked his godfather in the eye. “In other words, why the hell would I risk my life and limb for 1000 Galleons and fleeting fame? I have much better things to do with myself, including cutting my toenails.”

Severus smiled at his godson. “Finally.”

Draco smiled back. “Exactly. I am looking for an apprenticeship in Potioneering after I graduate. I trust I can rely on you for a recommendation?”

“I’ll do better than that. This is my last year teaching. I’ll take you on myself. You’ll have to sleep in my second bedroom.” 

Draco snickered, “Thank you, it is better than being made to sleep under the sinks.”

After making sure that all the students were lined up and behaving themselves, Headmistress McGonagall nodded to two men standing off to one side. “Gentlemen, if you will.” They stepped forward. “No one is to cast any sort of spell, charm or, especially, hex on the Goblet. You do understand?” Both men nodded. That being said, she left to complete her rather sneaky exchange of her present quarters for Dumbledore's. She wasn’t going to be a, as she said, layabout Lucy anymore. If Dumbledore objected, she’d just ignore him, or tell him she didn’t see what the problem was. After all, he wasn’t there more than eight days out of the term anyway. She smirked to herself as she directed the house elves to move all Dumbledore’s remaining clothing to the small closet in her quarters and her clothing to the huge walk-in in the Head’s quarters.

The two guards stationed themselves on either side of the Goblet, one facing the entry way and one facing the Great Hall door. This gave them a 360° view of the Entry Hall. Yusuke insisted in calling it a vestibule. They would remain there until midnight, when two more guards would trade places with them. The Goblet would be removed to the Headmistress' office until the Leaving Feast on the evening of the 22nd. 

Alastor Moody was of the opinion that it would never work. He just knew something was going to happen, sooner or later. Later, he hoped, but sooner seemed more likely. He really hadn’t liked the look in Dumbledore’s eye when he invited young Miyamoto to put his name in and was refused. Not that he blamed the young man. This whole Tri-Wizard stank to high heaven. He stumped off, mumbling to himself. 

Igor Karkaroff watched all this with disgust; such idiocy. He took a sip from his ever-present flask and walked off. He was going to have to do something about his quarters, they were entirely too close to Moody’s. That paranoid old fool was driving him crazy. All that spying was a nuisance. However, the Tri-Wizard served his purpose.

He was well aware that Moody was watching him. He was watching back.   
.

Moody flinched as Yusuke materialized from thin air. “Damn it, boy!”

“So, constant vigilance? Yes?” Yusuke smirked, pulled a cigarette out of his mallet space and started to put it to his lips. Moody appropriated it. He shrugged and got another. “So. Karkaroff. Tell me about him.”

“Asshole. Death Eater. Coward. Snitch. And something’s wrong here, but I can’t figure out what.” Moody scowled at his toe, magical eye whirling. 

“I don’t know him well enough to judge. Keep an eye on him ... hummm? Yes?” 

Moody drew in a deep drag, coughed like a dragon, then grumbled, “Keep an eye on him. Keep an eye on the Goblet. Keep an eye on Dumbledore. Damn it. I’ve only got the one.”

Yusuke blinked at him. “Got two.”

“Nope. Only one. Don’t count the magical one.”

“Ah.” 

They smoked together for a bit more then Moody nodded. “Better get going. You’ll be late to ... something. Don’t take classes so what the hell?”

Yusuke nodded in the direction of the juku. “Juku. Cram school. Hermione-chan is a slave driver. We’re going to be ready for the ICW GEL tests by the time we graduate from this joke.”

“Icegel’s, ya say. Well, good luck on that. Potions bit is a real bitch.”

Yusuke agreed. “They are. I’ve looked at the practice tests. I don’t like brewing. I’m good, but not great. I’m hoping for an E. Hermione will get an O. Neville? He’ll pass but with what, I’m not sure.”

“Heard Snape say you told him that you didn’t see any reason to brew yourself when you had Brewmasters who could do it better, quicker and safer. Smart boy. But what will you do if you get stuck out in the middle of nowhere without?”

“Brew. But I don’t have to like it. Just be competent enough not to poison myself.” Yusuke banished the butt and opened the door to the juku. “Like to come in?”

Moody eyed the room for a moment, took in the piles of books, papers and parchments on all three desks, the gaki standing by and said, “Don’t think so. All that industrious studying gives me hives.” He eyed the gaki again. The gaki stared back with that particular insolence that yakuza are good at. “Right bunch of thugs you’ve got there.”

Yusuke eyed his men, who promptly bowed. “Yes. Good men.” He gave Moody an odd look. “Don’t think much of your sort.” He looked at one man. “Come here.” The man came over. “Show him your hand.”

The gaki held out his hand. His left hand. It was missing the first joint of the little finger. 

Moody eyed it for a moment, well aware of the rumors. “So, that really is done? Impressive.” The gaki retrieved his hand at Yusuke’s signal. He returned to his fellow and sat down.

“Yes. He is a good man now. I’ve seen some of your Aurors. Not impressed. They let Knockturn Alley turn into a wasteland.”

Moody snorted. “Kids these days. I hear there’s a merchants association now.”

“There is. Remusu-aniki runs it.”

“Werewolf? That’s not such a good idea.” Moody wasn’t too sure that Yusuke was as smart as he’d been told.

“The way you treat them here is a disgrace. One, he was a friend of my biological father. Two, he’s smart, strong and nearly indestructible. Just because he gets a little irritable once a month? Doesn’t turn you off a woman, does it?” Yusuke smirked at Hermione when she choked. 

Moody grunted. “Well, it’s your business and I’ll be sure to remember that. Going down now. Don’t want to get caught in the crush when all those starving, hormonal idiots decide to head for the Great Hall at the last damn minute.”

“Stop by anytime.” Yusuke watched the old man stump off, grunting and grumbling.

Neville laughed then said, “I don’t see why he doesn’t do as we do. Be late. It’s not like we’ll do without. Especially as the elves seem to be convinced you’ll starve yourself if you don’t get your favorite dishes.”

Yusuke smirked in satisfaction. “Dumbledore thwarted again. I don’t understand what that old man is hoping to accomplish by making me hate England even more than I do.”

Hermione crinkled her brow for a moment. “Well, technically this is Scotland, not England. But it’s part of Magical Britain. Enough of that. I think ... he thinks that all he has to do is convince you to stay to add to his ... image. Not going to work. He has no idea how many Muggle-born magicals straddle the line. Not going into that, as it isn’t germane to the subject and never will be.”

Yusuke eyed her for a moment then asked, “And what do you plan to do after graduation?”

“Write books.” Hermione’s shuttered expression told him that further questions wouldn’t be welcome. 

Not one to force the issue, he left it alone.

Neville nodded at Hermione. “I might be persuaded to hire you to do research for the greenhouses and help me write my book.”

Hermione perked up. “What book?”

“The one no one seems to believe is necessary. One on the interactions of plant and non-plant potions ingredients.” Neville frowned. “No one seems to be aware of when or how the age of a plant, the dryness and so on, affect the potion. Stupid.”

Yusuke frowned. “There’s a book on interactions, so I’ve been told. But no one seems to use it. I believe it was written before the Dragon’s Blood discoveries. There was supposed to be a new book written but ... didn’t happen. The old one is still good enough, but it’s out of print.” He got a considering look in his eyes then pulled a scrap of paper out of a sleeve and scribbled something on it. “Here, take this to Shiriusu-oji.” The gaki he’d addressed took the note and trotted off. 

Neville laughed softly. “What do you have percolating in that devious mind of yours?”

Yusuke smoked for a moment. “Well, if it’s out of print, someone might be able to buy the publishing rights for it for next to nothing. Then ... advertise that the expected ’new’ book hasn’t yet made its appearance, after ... how many years? And then reprint it.”

Hermione’s grin took up half her face. “Yes, with annotations by ... someone. It’s been out of print for ... 15 years, easy. And anyone who still has a copy is clinging to it like grim death. I’d love a copy but can’t even get the one from the library. It has gone mysteriously missing. If you do print it, I want one.”

Neville snorted. “It’s a done deal. I want one too. Please.”

“Done, done, and done.” Yusuke ambled off, high pony tail swishing across his shoulders, open robes swinging. “Let’s see what’s what. I wonder if McGonagall-sensei will wait until the Leaving Feast for the drawing. I really don’t see any reason to do so but ... well, you just never know.”

Hermione shrugged. “You know how that goes. Dumbledore said. And, I think, he wants to be here for the drawing but he can’t get away until then. And, I find I really don’t care. But ... I’ll bet you a fiver that your name comes out of the cup. Whether you put it in or not.”

“Not takin’ it.” Neville shook his head. “Sure bet on your part.”

Yusuke nodded. “I’m afraid Neville’s right. And, all bets on me, I collect 10 per cent off the top.”

Hermione nodded. “Ok. I swear, I’m setting up a book. I’ll hustle all the younger years and get rich.”

Yusuke just told her. “If you decide to do that, I’ll lend you a couple of knee breakers and a body guard. Food. Now.”

They made it to the Great Hall in time to see the last of the staff seated at the head table. Headmistress McGonagall announced that she’d tried to get Dumbledore to allow them to draw the champions' names at this meal but he’d refused. She went on to say that he wanted to be here for the official drawing and that several of the sponsors and officials of the tournament were also to be here. She ended, “Aye, and a great lot of boring speachifying about not much of anything and food going cold. Well, never mind that. Serve!” She sat down and the food appeared.

Yusuke sighed. “Figured as much.”

Hermione nodded. “Told you so.”

Neville passed a platter of smoked fish. “Yeah. Well.” He took a plate of roast beef and helped himself to some. 

They passed things back and forth, and up and down the table. Hermione couldn’t help but notice that the hall was quieter than normal. A quick look at the high table showed why. Karkaroff was glowering at Snape like he wanted to kill him. Snape’s occasional glance in his direction held enough heat to boil a caldron in seconds. Madam Maxime was giving both of them an occasional glower. The Hogwarts staff and the few members of the other school’s staff were ignoring the by-play, rather pointedly.

Neville nodded in their direction. “What’s up with that?”

Yusuke shook his head. “Don’t know. Moody looks like he bit into a bad pickle.”

Hermione nodded. “He does. I don’t like it. Snape’s a reformed Death Eater and the way he’s looking at Karkaroff it seems he knows something. Something not nice.”

Yusuke sighed, “I think I’m beginning to sound a great deal like Malfoy. I’ll write my father.”

Hermione just muttered, “Ugh,” and went back to her food.

Yusuke pulled pen and paper out of his bag and wrote. He summoned a gaki, who had been standing quietly to one side. “Take this to Shiriusu-Oji. Wait for the answer. The man bowed and left, striding out the doors of the Great Hall without fanfare.

.

They didn’t go to the juku, as they were all caught up. Hermione just wanted to sit around in the common room for once. So that was what they decided to do.

Yusuke picked up Mrs Norris and carried her down. He settled on a loveseat, stretching his long legs across the seats and resting his back against one arm. He settled the cat on his lap and began to stroke her fur. She responded by purring like a small buzz-saw.

Hermione joined him, sitting on the other loveseat, with Crookshanks in her lap. “Well, isn’t this nice?” Crookshanks watched Mrs. Norris for a moment then tucked his paws under his chest and began to purr too. Hermione petted him, making him purr even louder.

Neville, having left Trevor in the greenhouses at home, said he was going to have to get a dog or something. He flopped into an easy chair that was part of the grouping and pulled a book out of his pocket. “I’ve got a nice book that Gran gave me. Would you like me to read to you?”

Hermione looked over. “What is it?”

“Moby Dick. She said it was an adventure with a moral.”

Yusuke eyed the whale on the cover. “Not familiar with that book. Please begin.”

Neville proved to have an excellent reading voice so they were soon joined by a dozen other students. He soon found a cup of Throat Soother tea at his elbow, fairy cakes and tarts as well. He couldn’t eat and read so those went to Yusuke and Hermione. He glowered a bit but relented when Yusuke promised him treats when he was done reading.

Neville read for over an hour then turned the book over to Hermione. She also proved to be an excellent reader. Neville leaned back in his chair to finish his tea. Yusuke handed him a plate of his favorite tarts, saying, “Thanks, Neville.” He was absently shushed by a fourth year. Neville grinned at him then shoved a whole tart into his mouth.

Hermione read, book propped on a cooperative—as long as she was petting him—Crookshanks, until she noticed that some of the younger ones were nodding off. “Well, that’s the end of the chapter. I think it’s a good place to stop for the night.” There were a few moans and groans. “No. Some of you need to head to bed. Others need to do homework. We’ll read some more ...” she stopped as she realized that tomorrow was the leaving feast. “We’ll pick back up right after Christmas break.” She gave the book back to Neville. “Neville, will you please mark the place?” Neville tucked a scrap of parchment into the book and put it into his pocket. “Thank you.”

A small second- or third-year appealed to Neville. “Mr. Longbottom, you will remember to bring it back, won’t you?”

Neville looked at him for a moment then took the book out of his pocket and put it on the mantlepiece. “I’ll just leave it here. How’s that?” This seemed to meet everyone’s approval so Neville left the book on the mantle.

Yusuke stood up, Mrs Norris on his shoulder. “I’m going up. I saw that gaki come in and go up to the dorm.” He stretched, careful not to dislodge the kneezle/cat mix. 

Neville followed him. “I think he might have a dispatch for me too.” 

Hermione bade them goodnight, saying, “I’ve got a few things to talk over with Lavender, so I’m gone too. Night.”

“O yasumi nasai, Hermione-chan.” 

They were met at the door by the gaki, who handed Yusuke a rather thick note. He also handed Neville a folder. He then bowed and retreated to stand by the door to await further orders.

Neville read, sprawled across his bed.

Yusuke was forced to sit up as Mrs Norris expressed her disapproval of being dislodged so he could lie down by sticking her claws into his shoulders. He absently petted her ears from time to time.

Neville suddenly laughed. “Yusuke. Gran, knowing I want a copy of Ingredients Interactions Explained, found out that there are two copies in Britain. One in the Ministry of Magic and not available and one here at Hogwarts. She also stated that Snape has it or she’s sadly mistaken. I bet he checked it out the day after he started teaching here and never returned it.”

Yusuke smiled. “Well, I’ll ask him if I can copy it.”

Neville snorted, “If I know him, he’s annotated it to death.” He looked at Yusuke, light dawning in his expression. “Which will make the New, Annotated xth Edition of Ingredients Interactions Explained, Annotated by Potions Master Professor Severus Snape in so much demand that you’ll never keep up with it.”

“Exactly. I don’t think I’ll speak with him. I’ll get someone from the publisher's office to do so.”

“Mm?” Neville didn’t bother to ask why not. He knew Yusuke would answer his grunt.

“I’m afraid he’ll wet himself if I ask. I think he’s slightly afraid of me. Too proud to show it, but still.” He went back to petting Mrs. Norris and reading his letter. The information about Moody, Karkaroff and Madam Maxime was only a quick summary. The rest of the letter was news about his business in Japan, and personal letters from his brothers.


	33. Chapter 33

893.33

 

Most of the students spent the Leaving Day visiting friends, packing, and panicking when they thought some vital thing was lost. No professor worth his or her pay even tried to hold classes.

Breakfast was usually fairly calm, students stuffing themselves because they knew that lunch was sandwiches and tea. Then they all scrambled off to begin packing.

Lunch was, as stated, sandwiches and tea, and hysterics as girls tried to recover possessions from friends, boys the same, only with fisticuffs instead. And more scrambling to pack.

There was a general announcement that anyone who wanted to enter their name needed to come to the Head’s office and do that now. The announcement also reminded students that they needed to be in place by five so that the leaving feast could be concluded in time for them all to make it to bed as the train left bright and early on the 23rd. 

Yusuke just sighed. “Well, let’s go.”

Hermione snorted. “Not like we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Neville jerked his head at Ron. “Maybe someone we all know and ... ahem ... love will get lucky.”

Ron glowered but refrained from saying anything. Seamus’ declaration that the next time Ron was stupid would be the last had made an impression on him, or maybe it was the fist that had followed the remark.

.

The group settled in their chairs and turned to watch as Dumbledore made a grand entrance. His robes were puce with bright yellow daisies on them. He wore an old fashioned pillbox hat with a pink tassel and his beard was tied at chest level with a matching cord. 

He made his way to the head table, stopping to nod to this person and that, mostly students he hoped would be entrants. He turned to smile at the students, ignoring the fact that Acting Headmistress McGonagall had taken his ‘throne’ down and was occupying his end of the high table, seated in a comfortable high backed chair. He was relegated to the foot of the table, and a brocade-covered wing back chair.

“Hello, everyone. Today is a momentous day. Today we will chose the Tri-Wizard Champions. I could natter on and on about good fellowship, cooperation between our schools and such like. But ... I have been told that I’ve already covered everything that needs to be said, and re-plowing old ground is a waste of time. So, after we’ve refreshed ourselves, the Goblet of Fire will be brought down and the names chosen. So, let’s eat.” He waved his hand in a grandiose gesture, food appeared and everyone dug in.

Dumbledore realized that he was standing in front of the high table like a loon so he scurried to sit down, having to make a U-turn when he realized that he was headed in the wrong way. 

Food was duly consumed and the empty platters and plates removed. 

This time it was McGonagall who stood up. “Bring in the goblet.” She gestured and the goblet was brought in by the Ministry officials responsible for it. 

Ludo Bagman was dressed in his usual yellow and black. He looked like a giant bumblebee. Barty Crouch Sr. was dressed in maroon robes, supposedly Auror, but they weren’t. They fussed around the goblet for a few moments; then Dumbledore waved his wand, chanted a bit and the goblet lit up.

There was a rumbling noise and a bit of parchment, scorched around the edges, flew out. Dumbledore watched benignly as Mr Bagman snatched it out of the air. “Thank you, Ludo. So. The first champion is ... From Durmstrang ... Mr Ivan Dubrovsky. Mr Dubrovsky, if you would.” He motioned to the teachers' lounge.

Mr Dubrovsky, after accepting the congratulations of his fellows and the applause of the student body, made his way up to the high table and behind it to the door to the teachers' lounge. He entered, followed by Igor Karkaroff.

Dumbledore beamed. “Excellent! Excellent! Next,” and the goblet began to shiver again.

The next bit of parchment flew out and again, Mr Bagman caught it. “Thank you, thank you. Ah! Mademoiselle Odette Renaud. Wonderful. This way.” 

The young lady followed in her fellow champion’s footsteps, followed by Madam Maxime. Again the applause followed them.

The goblet lit up for a third time and trembled, actually rocking from side to side. The parchment that flew out was heavily scorched and still smoking. Mr Bagman took a moment to pat the last of the smoldering bits out before he handed it to Dumbledore. “Yes. And from our own Hogwarts. Mr. Harry Potter.”

Yusuke, who was sharing something with a younger year, ignored him. 

“Mr Harry Potter!” Dumbledore glared at his student.

The younger student poked Yusuke in the side. “I think Professor Dumbledore is speaking to you, sir.”

Yusuke looked at Dumbledore, who was looking decidedly cross, and said, “Oh! Were you speaking to me? Sorry. You wanted something?”

Dumbledore visibly forced himself to patiently explain, “Your name has come out of the Goblet of Fire. You need to come up and take your place.”

Yusuke considered this for a moment. “I have no idea what you are talking about. And I don’t need to do anything. You might like me to do this, or even need me to. But I have no need to.” There was snickering from all over the Great Hall. 

Yusuke considered this a plus, Dumbledore did not. “Mr Potter, you will come to the front of the room at once.”

“Or?” The inquisitive expression on Yusuke’s face made Dumbledore grind his teeth.

“I’ll expel you.”

Yusuke’s reply to this dire threat was, “Oh, yes, please.”

A voice from the doorway announced, “My son, you will go to the front, if you please.”

Yusuke jumped up and hurried to Miyamoto Musashi’s side. “Oyaji!” He bowed deeply then stood in a position that any military person would recognize as ‘at ease’ only with his hands clasped in front of him.

“I am very pleased with you, my son. You have done well.” He looked around. “Now. We go.”

Miyamoto Musashi led the way, followed by Miyamoto Masa, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Yakuza clumped behind them.

Ron Weasley glowered then announced, “Well, see? I knew he put his name in.”

Miyamoto Masa turned in his tracks and barked, “Who are you to say such a thing? Do you like your life?”

Ron gulped, turning so pale his freckles stood out like shit on a white wall. “I’m ... I ... Um ...”

Masa-san just nodded once and stalked after the rest of the group.

The teachers' lounge was a spacious, low-ceilinged room situated behind the Great Hall. There was a door from the Hall, another that came into the room from a back hallway and one directly from the Headmistress's office. The two back doors were now guarded by Yakuza and the Great Hall door was blocked by Genji Shinichi-sama himself. 

Dumbledore was beaming his pleasure to all and sundry. Madam Maxime frowned at him while Headmaster Karkaroff scowled at his toes.

Musashi-sama turned to Yusuke. “Did you put your name in?”

“No. You told me not to. You are well aware that I do not disobey you.” Yusuke kept calm; he wasn’t sure what his father was up to but he didn’t want to queer his game by blowing up.

“I did. So.” He turned to Dumbledore and held out his hand. “The paper.”

Dumbledore decided that arguing wasn’t in his best interests so he handed the parchment over.

“Mmmm.” Musashi-sama handed the scrap to Genji-san. “What do you think?”

“Forgery. And clumsy at that.” He handed it to Yusuke who glanced at it then handed it to Remus. He and Sirius looked at the writing, parchment and ink, then handed it back to Dumbledore. They agreed with Genji-san.

Ludo Bagman, seeing his opportunity to have Harry Potter himself in the Tri-Wizard, spoke up. “Never the less, his name came out of the Goblet, so he must compete.” He found himself on the receiving end of enough glares to make him gulp and cringe. “Well, he does.”

Masa-san sneered at him then glanced at Yusuke.

Yusuke shrugged. “What do you want me to do?”

Musashi-sama looked around the room. “I see no reason you should not compete. The face the family will acquire is worth the risk.”

“As you will.” Yusuke bowed. “However, I wish it to be plainly known that I did not put my name in. Someone else did it, and I want to know who.”

Bagman began to babble. “Yes, yes. A nice thank you. A note perhaps.”

Yusuke snarled, “Not to thank them, you useless baka.”

Bagman paled again.

Dumbledore started to say something but was interrupted by Madam Maxime. “How do you know it is a forgery?” She held up one hand. “Oh, it is not that I do not believe you. It is that I would like ... your proofs documented.”

Genji-san nodded, held out his hand and looked at Dumbledore. He relinquished the parchment again, frowning. “So. One, it is on parchment. Miyamoto Yusuke-san does not like parchment and won’t use it if he can get out of it. Two, it is written with a quill. Yusuke-san’s writing with a quill sputters excessively. And three, he can’t write English anymore. He would most likely write his name in Kanji. Four, he despises the name Harry Potter and won’t use it. You all saw him ignore ...” he glanced at Yusuke, having forgotten Dumbledore’s name, or so he indicated.

“Ojiisan Agohigi.”

All the yakuza snickered at that. 

“Yes, so, it is a forgery. And a very bad one. Even the youngest of my gaki could do better. If they didn’t, I’d beat them senseless and, when they came to, they’d do it again, until I approved. So. Forgery.”

Karkaroff butted in with, “Nevertheless, his name came out of the Goblet, so he must compete. He’ll lose his magic, if he doesn’t.”

Miyamoto Musashi glowered around the room. “And do you really think that would make any difference to me? Fools.” 

This declaration didn’t seem to make much difference to the gathered group. The other champions had stayed out of the mess, but now, the other two champions tugged Yusuke out of the argument and over to the side.

“Are you all right?” This from Ivan.

“Yes, thank you. I am merely annoyed. I dislike this sort of thing.” Yusuke pulled a cigarette out of seeming thin air and began to smoke.

Odette sighed. “I have a question. Why would someone put your name in for you? It does not make sense.”

Yusuke shrugged. “I have no idea. Father told me specifically not to, so I did not. And Genji-san is right, I do not write English. I went to Japan when I was 8 and have not written English since. Except for a bit here and there. My writing is more printing, just what I remember from third grade. I write Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana, not Romanji.”

Ivan nodded. “I see. Well, I’ll have to say that this is exciting. Chosen to be the Tri-Wizard Champion for my school and a mystery.” He looked excited in a polite sort of way.

Odette, on the other hand, declared, “This is horrible. Who would put your name in against your wishes? I do not understand. But ...” she looked at Musashi-san. “it is beyond wonderful that your father would love you, even if you lost your magic.”

While they were getting acquainted, the senior members of the group had reached an accord, of sorts. 

Dumbledore made the announcement. “Very well. This is what we will do. Each student is allowed an advisor. Mademoiselle Renaud will, of course, have Madam Maxime. And Gozpodin Dubrovsky will have Headmaster Karkaroff. I will not be available to ... Yusuke-chan.” All the yakuza winced. “So I have agreed that he will be advised by his godfather Sirius Black. Now. Everyone off to bed.” And with that, he thought, the meeting was over. He left, leaving the rest of the room to sort themselves as they wished.

Headmistress McGonagall sighed. “Damn that old ...” she straightened her back and announced. “Well, that’s that. Mr Bagman, Mr Crouch ... good night.” They took the hint and left quickly.

Professor McGonagall watched as they dodged around the unmoving yakuza guards and shut the door behind them. “And good riddance. Now, the first task will be held the week after Boxing Day. That gives you a bit of time to get ready. No idea what it might be. No help there.” She then fixed Sirius with a stern look. “As for you, Mr Black. No highjinks, if you please.” 

Sirius just shrugged. “I’ve grown up a bit. Um ... did Dumbledore take his mailbox with him?”

“He did.” She dismissed that odd question and got on with business. “You’ll all be leaving tomorrow morning. Have a good Christmas. Good night.”

Madam collected Odette, said good night, bowed slightly and left. Odette made a graceful curtsey and followed.

Headmaster Karkaroff just stormed out. Ivan gave a Russian style bow, smiled and left too.

Headmistress McGonagall smiled and went to the door. Everyone else had walked around Genji-san, his glower making them edge by. Headmistress McGonagall just stood toe to toe with him. He eyed her then smiled and stepped out of her way. “Ofukuro-sensei.” He bowed, keeping his eyes on her. He opened the door for her then shut it firmly.

Yusuke turned his eyes to his father. 

“Not happy. Shiriusu-san, find out who forged this fuda.” He produced the original of the forged name slip. “Yusuke, do not lose your temper. There are a few names here.” He gave Yusuke a folded note. “Kill them at your convenience. Remusu-san, you and Shiriusu-san will advise my son. Now. We go.” He then folded back to Japan, followed by all his men, who bowed to Yusuke before leaving. He began a campaign of bills, lawsuits, and complaints that would keep Dumbledore and the Wizengamot tied up in red tape for months.

Sirius sighed, rubbed his face and grumbled. “Shit. Just when I was thinking things were calming down. Silly me.”

Yusuke eyed Remus for a moment. “See if you can’t find out what the first task is. Find out what all of them are. I’m going up. Good night.”

They all knew that getting anything out of Yusuke when he was angry was an exercise in futility, so they just folded back to Ken No Ie to begin their searches.

.

When he got to the dorm he was disgusted to find that all of Gryffindor house was celebrating his championship. He eyed the celebrants for a bit then went up to sit on his bed and read. He wasn’t about to celebrate this aggravation.

He ignored Ron’s complaining with ill-concealed aggravation, until Ron put his hands on him. Then he waved a hand, binding Ron with rope then dumping him on his bed. “And you’ll stay there until you learn better manners. I’ve killed men for less.” He went back to his reading.

Neville came up about ten minutes after Ron. “Ron still up here? He’s a prat, don’t let him get to you.”

Yusuke gestured to Ron’s bed. “Too late. You talk to him.”

Neville just shook his head, said, “Oh, Ron.” and went to take a shower before bed. He took his things with him and reappeared, dressed in his pajamas, wet hair dripping on his shoulders. He flopped down on his bed and began to work on the holiday assignment for Transfiguration.

Dean and Seamus came up shortly after that, claiming that some of the 7th year girls were getting entirely too rowdy. They also got ready for bed, eyed Ron, who’d given up hope of being freed any time soon, and settled in their beds.

Yusuke read for another hour then, noticing that everyone seemed to be asleep, he freed Ron, telling him, “Shut your mouth and go to sleep. You bother me again, ever, and your Mother will cry. Do you understand me?”

Ron nodded, got up and scurried into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, ready for bed. He scrambled into his bed, pulled the covers over his head, gestured with his wand to close the curtains and was silent.

.

Yusuke waited until he was sure Ron, Neville and Dean were asleep. He knew that Seamus wasn’t but he slipped out anyway. Seamus was as Irish as Paddy’s Pig and knew not to tell anyone anything. He told stories of his uncle in the IRA.

He prowled the halls for an hour, dodging Filch and the on-duty Head Boy. He also saw Professor Sinestra and Professor Flitwick patrolling. 

As nothing seemed to be out of order, he headed back for Gryffindor. He didn’t quite make it.

Severus Snape reread the letter he’d received and thought about the request. He’d been waiting for the ‘new’ Interactions book as long as everyone else. He was also sure that no one was actually working on it. The letter was from the publisher of the old book asking if he was interested in annotating the original. He was. In fact, he’d been annotating it for years. He decided to accept the offer and scribbled a note to himself to send the letter on the first day of the holidays. It would be lucrative in the extreme, and a feather in his cap, one that he wasn’t going to refuse.

He saw Yusuke headed up to Gryffindor but refrained from messing with him. If he was doing something he shouldn’t be, he, Severus Snape, didn’t want to know about it.

.

Breakfast the next morning was chaos. Yusuke gave up getting anything to eat, intelligent conversation out of anyone, or peace of any sort. He caught Neville in a quiet corner.

“Let’s find Hermione.”

“No chance. The lower three are making it impossible to do anything but dodge them. I swear, I don’t know how a bunch of eleven-, twelve-, and thirteen-year-olds can cause such a riot.” Neville shook his head. “I wish I could skip the damn train, but Dumbledore swears it’s for the greater good that we all suffer on that ... thing. Seriously, every time I hear that phrase it makes me want to puke.”

Yusuke rubbed his face. “All this noise is making it impossible to think. Let’s see ...” before Yusuke could finish his remark, Hermione emerged from the mass of students.

“What a mess. Really! You’d think they were going on an expedition to darkest Africa for the rest of their lives. Why don’t they pack when they’re supposed to? Never mind, rhetorical question. I wish we didn’t have to take the train.”

Yusuke motioned to a gaki. “Get her trunk.” The gaki scurried off to get Hermione’s trunk from the piles in the entry way. He returned quickly and showed the shrunken trunk to Yusuke. “Good. Now, take her home. Make sure her parents are there and not at the station, waiting for her.” 

Hermione started to say something, closed her mouth with a snap, then said, “Well, thank you.” The gaki took her hand and they disappeared.

Neville looked at that spot for a moment then turned a hopeful look at Yusuke. 

“Yes, Neville-kun. You too.” Yusuke gave the same orders to one of the three men he’d assigned to Neville. The man grinned and showed Yusuke Neville’s trunk. Another man took Neville’s arm and they, too, left.

Yusuke smirked at his own men and ambled out the huge front doors, smoking idly. He decided to just walk down to Ken No Ie, instead of folding. He needed the exercise.

.

Christmas was wonderful, as always. Yusuke hung around Ken No Ie Christmas Eve, giving the gaki and waka there a present and collecting his from them. Sirius and Remus told him that his presents from them were in Japan, waiting for Christmas Day.

They spent their spare time trying to find out more about the Tri-Wizard tasks. Remus went away for several hours and came back with a scowl on his face. “Well, I can’t find out anything for sure, but ... Charley Weasley ... you’d like him; good, sensible man ... says that they’re moving sitting dragons. He doesn’t know where yet.”

Yusuke held out his cup for more sake. “Well, shit. Endangering dragons and their eggs for this shit?” he shook his head.

Musashi-sama leaned on the cushion a waka placed under his arm. “Will not happen. Ichigo-san, write a letter. Go.”

Ichigo was used to this sort of thing and just pulled his writing desk closer. He quickly wrote a letter to the ICW Endangered Beasts Protective Department to complain about the mysterious movement of brooding dragons. He sent it immediately, the waka happy to comply with his... request. 

The answer came the next day. The ICW had passed a comprehensive ban on moving brooding dragons for any reason with the exception of immediate danger to the clutch. 

Yusuke smirked at Sirius. “Take that, Ojiisan Agohigi! What the hell are they thinking? All dragons are endangered. The British still use heartstring in their wands, so you’d think they’d have more sense.”

Sirius raised his cup in salute to nothing. “Inbreeding. You know ... my Mother and Father were fifth cousins. Not that close until you look back farther. Most British purebloods are at least fourth cousins, two or three times over.”

Ichigo offered, “Maybe that’s why so many new bloods are born there. Nature is trying to ... improve the blood.” He poured Sirius more sake. 

Yusuke nodded. He was well on his way to being drunk. “True. But those idiots run them out of the magic world, if not Britain. Our gain. Their loss.” He finished his cup and held it out. It was considered rude and greedy to fill your own cup. That was why the gaki were charged with keeping everyone’s cup full. 

Remus, werewolf physique overwhelmed by the powerful drink, swayed a bit then announced, “Well. And they have also passed more anti-were laws. I’m working on getting us several more, young ones. Good people, not all men. There’s a couple of women that are truly frightening. They’ve got kids.”

Musashi-san hiccupped. “Well, we’ve put one spike in their guns. I’m going to bed.”

When Musashi-san went to bed, everyone went to bed. 

Yusuke enjoyed his Christmas Day, despite waking up with a hangover. He got nice presents from his brothers and father. Sirius and Remus went in together to buy him a Daisho made by the premiere sword maker of Magical Japan. He had many swords, but three daisho were special: the one Musashi-san had given him after his first mission, the one his brothers had given him for his 14th birthday, and this one. 

He stuffed most of his presents into mallet space to sort later. 

The rest of Christmas Day was spent drinking, eating, and visiting with his brothers and father. Sirius and Remus just sat around and stuffed themselves.

Yusuke finally announced that, as he wanted to go visiting on Boxing Day, he was going to bed.

Musashi-san shrugged. “Fine, this English custom of annoying all your friends on the day after Christmas doesn’t really make sense to me. So, go, have fun. See if you can’t get one or two of your targets while you’re there.”

“As you will.” Yusuke got up and ambled out.

Musashi-san gave Sirius and Remus their marching orders and sent them on their way.

.

Boxing Day consisted of visiting Neville and Hermione. Yusuke considered visiting Draco Malfoy but decided against it as rubbing things in a bit too much.

Neville was pleased to see Yusuke, despite the entourage of two waka, Remus and Sirius. And the fact that they all were dressed in traditional Japanese clothing.

His Gran was everything that was polite. She ignored the waka as being servants, much to their delight. Remus she gave a polite smile but ignored his offered hand. He didn’t take offense as she was old enough to get away with it. Sirius she eyed for a moment, then offered, “Black.” He just nodded, not offering his hand.

Neville led the way into the sitting room and offered seats. The waka retreated to stand by the door while Remus, Sirius and Yusuke took seats. Polite conversation about gifts and homework took up about twenty minutes, then Yusuke motioned to one of the waka, who came forward with two presents in his hands. He bowed to Lady Augusta and offered one of the cloth-wrapped presents. He then offered the other to Neville.

Lady Augusta was moved to be pleased. “Wrapped in ... cloth? That’s different. Very nice.” She carefully untied the elegant and elaborate knot, putting aside the cord helper. She eyed the square melon for a moment. “A ... melon? How ... interesting.”

Neville helped her out. “In Japan it is the custom to give unusual foods. Storage for knick-knacks is limited, so they give consumables.”

“I see. Well, we’ll have this for supper.” She handed the melon to an elf, who was imitating the waka by standing in a corner. “Take it away, please.” The elf popped out with the melon, leaving only the furoshiki, the square of fabric the melon had been wrapped in. “And what is polite to do with this?”

Yusuke smiled. “Some people reuse them; it’s considered a bit of a compliment. Others use them for ... purse? They keep one folded up in their obi to make a carry-bag from.” He produced one from his obi and then tucked it back away.

Neville opened his gift and smiled. It was a very nice writing box. He’d managed to damage his beyond repair, with a little help from Seamus. Leaving it in the middle of his bed had been a bad idea as Seamus had flopped down on it before he’d noticed it.

Neville was pleased to see that it was filled with good quality paper, parchment, and letter blanks. It also contained steel dip pens, a fountain pen; and, to his delight, an ink stick, fude, ink stone and rice paper.

Yusuke nodded at the last pieces. “I’ll teach you to write ofuda. There’s a stroke diagram in there. You already know how to make ink. Practice the individual strokes a bit. When we’re back at school, I’ll start teaching you.”

Neville nodded. “Thank you so much.” He folded the furoshiki and tucked it into his pocket.

Augusta asked, “Now, I’m not criticizing but why would you want to ... what is an ofuda?”

Yusuke explained about ofuda, ending, “And there are so many that are good in the greenhouses. Keeping bugs out without poisons, keeping unruly plants under control. That sort of thing.”

“I see. Well, thank you very much then.” 

Neville then summoned their elf to bring his presents. He had one for Yusuke, Remus and Sirius. He also had a small money present for the waka. He was glad he’d asked Yusuke what was proper to do. He didn’t want any rumors circulating in Japan that he didn’t do what was proper.

His presents were, more or less, exactly what Yusuke had given; sake for Remus, some sweets that Sirius was particularly fond of; and for Yusuke, a mother plant. This was given as an IOU card. This was simply a piece of parchment with a picture of the plant conjured onto the front; when opened, the card explained that this plant was being sent to the Miyamoto greenhouses in Yusuke’s name. 

Yusuke, who’d been wanting one of this particular plant, thanked Neville politely. His smile was one of particular sweetness. 

Neville announced his intention to visit the house over the summer to make sure that the plant was being taken care of properly. “Not that I doubt your people’s skills but I just want to make sure.”

Yusuke, well aware of exactly what Neville was up to, announced, “That would be extremely kind of you to put yourself out like that. You will be most welcome in my house.”

Neville nodded. “Thank you.”

The elf came to clear away the paper, which Neville had told them to just drop on the floor. Yusuke had wadded his up, making sure that all the mess was in one ball. Sirius had torn into his with glee and tossed the mess at his feet. Remus had also balled up his mess, but missed a bit here and there. The waka had accepted their envelopes with both hands and a polite bow, as was proper, refraining from opening them until later.

They’d been there the requisite hour, refused refreshments and now stood up to leave.

Neville knew the polite thing, so he said, “Yes, of course. Please, must you leave so soon?”

Yusuke nodded. “We must. We do not wish to impose our presence beyond our welcome.”

Lady Augusta, recognizing formal phrases when she heard them, said, “Your welcome can’t be worn out. But ... if you must, you must.”

She was astonished to see the whole group take one step and disappear.

.

Hermione wasn’t surprised at all when they folded in, right in the middle of the front yard. She just yelled, “Daddy, Mum! Yusuke’s here.”

She led them into the lounge and said, “Take a seat.”

Sirius grinned at her and said, “But then, you wouldn’t have any.”

Hermione gave that comment the consideration it deserved: she ignored it. She politely ignored the waka, only glancing at them to see that they had found a convenient place to stand. They both bowed to her then settled by the main entry door.

Hermione’s mother and father came in from the kitchen, bearing trays of snacks and drinks. Hermione’s Mum looked at the two waka and asked, “Wouldn’t you gentlemen like to sit down?”

Yusuke rolled his eyes at Sirius. Sirius was up to the task. “No, they’re bodyguards. They don’t sit, eat or drink. Just pretend they’re not there. They won’t be offended. In fact, they’ll be offended if you insist on interfering with their job.”

Hermione’s father nodded. “They look like that sort. Dark clothing, sunglasses inside. And what is with that?”

Yusuke explained. “Earwig.”

Hermione looked blank but Dan nodded. “I see. Well, far be it from us to get in their way. But ... who are they guarding?”

Yusuke pointed to his nose. “Me. Someone is always trying to do hitogoroshi. It’s annoying. Shiriusu-oji and Remusu-aniki are also targets. We watch each other’s backs.”

Dan looked worried while Emma frankly stared.

Sirius took one look and hurried to say, “Don’t worry about Hermione, she’s Yakuzade Wanai and not in O-Shiai. She’s safe from any sort of problems. Word gets around, you know.”

Dan eyed one of the waka. “Ok. Have a drink.” He pushed the tray forward a bit.

Hermione realized that everything was getting a bit awkward so she jumped in. “Yusuke, I have your present here. I didn’t know Sirius and Remus would be with you, so I don’t have anything for you.” She looked at one man then the other. “I’m sorry.”

Mrs. Granger spoke up. “Oh, I have a few ... what we call emergency gifts. Excuse me.” she got up and left, returning quickly with two wrapped gifts. “Here we go. Not much but I think you’ll like them.”

She handed one to Sirius and the other to Remus. They both got a bottle of liquor, Remus got Scotch, while Sirius got whiskey. They both thanked the Grangers with appropriate politeness then watched as Yusuke opened his gift. Hermione got him a book on antique Japanese swords, in English. He thanked her and handed it off to one of the waka, who stepped forward to take it. 

Then Yusuke signaled the other waka, who came forward with his presents for Hermione and her parents. For Hermione there was a book on Japanese History, which she squealed over, for the senior Grangers there was another melon. 

They stayed another few, awkward, minutes then Sirius made the excuse that Yusuke had to finish his homework. 

Hermione nodded. “Oh, I figured he’d put it off another day or so. We’re not due back at Hogwarts until the 3rd, you know.”

Yusuke waved that away. “I know. But I intend to enjoy New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day is all parties as well. I’ll be drunk off my ass for three days. Then I have to pack. Not going to try to do homework in all that drunken excitement.”

The Grangers were appalled. Dan demanded. “Are you telling me that your father allows you to get drunk?”

Yusuke eyed him for a moment. “He does.”

Emma sighed. “I don’t think that’s very good for you.”

Hermione gave up. “Mother, wizards don’t get drunk like ... normal people do. And there’s potions for hangovers.”

Yusuke took the cowards way out without batting an eye. “I see that we have upset you; we’ll be on our way. Excuse us.” And with that he stood and folded away... leaving Hermione to explain things to her parents.

.

New Year’s Eve and Day went just as Yusuke had predicted. They ate too much, drank too much and went from party to party. Being polite to people he’d rather kill was exhausting, but his father expected him to behave himself, so he did. 

He spent most of his time drinking and eating. His two top officers, Shiriusu-oji and Remusu-aniki, stayed right by him. They used the excuse that they were his bodyguards for the day to avoid being pressed into drinking more than they wanted. They also ran interference between him and people who seemed determined to drive him to murder. Mostly theirs.

New Year’s Day evening wasn’t bad; they used the excuse of being extremely drunk and overfull to leave the last party and go home. They all went to bed early, drunk, tired and a bit ill.

The day of the second was one of those days when everyone wandered around like zombies, trying to digest the rich foods and fight off the effects of the hangover that a potion didn’t cure. Everyone was listless and cranky. They lounged around, making desultory conversation and drinking tea. Late evening saw Yusuke packing his trunk, getting ready to go back to Hogwarts. He wondered, idly, what the new first task would be, since it wasn’t going to be dragons.

.

The third was when they were supposed to take the train back to Hogwarts. Yusuke flatly refused to have anything to do with it. He folded to Ken No Ie and, when he got an owl from Dumbledore, requesting him to get to Kings Cross Station before the train left at 11am, he sent back a message, carried by a waka. It was the yakuza form of a howler. In other words, the waka just went up to Dumbledore and screamed at him. In Japanese, with rude gestures. 

Dumbledore was confused and had to have a translator decipher the recording. When the translator was done, Dumbledore gave him some money and sent him on his way. Then he sent to the ICW and asked to have Harry Potter put into his guardianship, as his present one wasn’t acceptable. The reply wasn’t what he wished so he went back to the ICW and to his offices, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be at the Welcoming Feast.

Yusuke wasn’t on his own. Neville simply told his Gran that the waka that had come to guard him would fold him to Ken No Ie and he’d walk up to the school.  
.

Hermione was disgusted that she had to take the train. She hated the crowd, the noise, the general messiness of the whole thing. And, she couldn’t find Yusuke or Neville. That meant she’d have to deal alone. 

She was happy when Lavender knocked on the door and poked her head in. “Anyone else sitting here?”

Hermione gestured to the empty compartment. “No. Come on in.” She put the cat carrier down on the floor to let Lavender sit opposite her. “Crooks, be good.”

Crookshanks just jumped back onto the seat and crawled into Lavender’s lap. 

Lavender started scratching behind his ears, making him purr. “I don’t mind. He’s a good kitty. And Mrs. Norris ... what did Yusuke do to her? Filch has fits.”

“Don’t know. Don’t care. She’s a very nice cat.” Hermione eyed Crookshanks. “Um ... you do know that neither one of them is fixed, right?”

Lavender blinked. “Fixed?”

“Neutered.” Hermione blinked at Lavender's puzzled expression.

“But then ... wouldn’t you call that broken?”

Hermione nodded. “You’d think. Oh, did you see that dress the Lady Flint was wearing at the Ministry Christmas Ball? Horrid.”

Lavender shuddered. “Seriously. She looked like ... a sausage with a string tied around it. I wonder why she didn’t pass out. Corsetry is so passé. Please.”

Hermione nodded. “I can see it, if you have a bit of sense, but I really wondered how she kept her girls from popping out.”

Lavender agreed with that and they spent the next hour discussing fashion and who wore what where.

They were both annoyed when someone knocked on the door, banging hard enough to make the latch rattle. The door opened and Thomas Pickle, one of the Fifth year Slytherins, stuck his head in. He started to say something but Hermione flicked her hand, muttered, “Shejima.” Pickle opened and closed his mouth, obviously trying to say something.

Hermione eyed him for a moment. “Get out. You obviously don’t have anything worth saying, so just do us all a favor and go away.”

He went.

Lavender sighed. “I wish I could do that. What was that spell.”

“A simple Silencing Spell. The incantation actually is just Japanese for ‘Quiet!’ Works wonders. Now. As I was saying...” and she went on with her explanation of the charm that Lavender couldn’t get to work.

.

When they arrived at the station, Hermione was pleased to see that Neville and Yusuke were waiting for her, along with Remus, Sirius and half a dozen waka.

She happily hugged Yusuke, Neville, Remus and Sirius; she nodded to the waka who all bowed back. One of the waka collected her trunk and the cat carrier and they were on their way.

Yusuke refused to ride in one of the carriages. He had brought rickshaws in; gaki in traditional garb pulled them. He was delighted when he found out that, because of a couple of charms, one man could pull two passengers. Neville took a seat beside Remus, Sirius rode with Hermione, and Yusuke rode alone. The waka ran along beside. They passed the line of carriages easily and were the first to get to Hogwarts.

Hermione asked Sirius why Yusuke did this and he replied, “Not sure, but it has something to do with him not liking the train, the carriages or something. He’s in a mood. Pay him no mind.”

Hermione sighed. “If he’s in a mood, I just hope no one gets on the wrong side of him.”

“Me too.” Sirius looked up. “Well, we’re here.” he offered Hermione his hand to descend from the rickshaw.

“Thank you.” Hermione stepped down, arranged her robes and found that Neville was offering her his arm. “Thank you, Neville.”

Yusuke nodded to them and led the way in. The six waka followed them in.

Remus eyed Sirius who nodded. They also went inside.

Dumbledore was supposed to be there, but he was hung up at the ICW with several representatives from Magical Games and Sports, trying to explain the need for dragons for the Tri-Wizard. He’d been refused twice by the only reserve he had contact with and was looking for some help. He wouldn’t get it but he didn’t know that yet.

At Hogwarts, the students were finally in the Great Hall and seated. Beauxbatons had marched in in one group while Durmstrang wandered in along with the Hogwarts students. They were all seated when Headmistress McGonagall called them to order.

She gave a short speech, welcoming everyone back for the new term and asking them to be sure to stay away from the Quidditch Pitch as it was being prepared for the first task. She also said that, as there weren’t to be dragons for that task, no one was to bother Hagrid for information on what ‘beastie’ he was providing instead. 

She also announced that the champions would have their own table, to which they could invite three friends.

Yusuke nodded to Neville and Hermione, then Remus and Sirius. He stood and said, “Headmistress McGonagall, if I might. I have four, not three. But only two will be constant.”

She eyed the four people standing with him and said, “If the other champions don’t mind.” she looked at Odette, who shrugged easily then Ivan who said, “I don’t care.” So the champions and their companions, advisors, or friends settled at the champions' table, which was situated on the floor in front of the dais where the head table sat.

Then Headmistress McGonagall signaled for the elves to serve and sat down.

Yusuke glanced over the table; he had Hermione at his right and Neville at his left, then Sirius and Remus, left and right respectively. Ivan had a young woman beside him on his right and an older boy on his left. Odette had a young girl on her right but no one else. The Heads of the schools stayed at the high table.

It so happened that Yusuke was seated in the middle of the table. 

There was a bit of whispering as the waka took their places behind Yusuke and his party. No one else had attendants.

The meal was a merry affair with everyone eating their fill, catching up on gossip and telling their friends about their Christmas presents. 

The high table was suspiciously quiet. Headmistress McGonagall glanced down the table from her spot at the end. Snape was pointedly ignoring Karkaroff who was ignoring him right back. Madam Maxime was carrying on a lively conversation with Professor Flitwick on one side and Madam Pince on the other. Hagrid was gazing at her with a moony expression on his face. The rest of the staff were speaking amongst themselves easily. She looked around again; she felt like she was being watched, but that was just silly.

There was a bit of grumbling about the waka from Ron, but everyone ignored him. Everyone except a certain bug, who’d gotten the habit of hiding under people's robe hoods. The robes at Hogwarts included, for girls, the option of a wide cowl hood, or for boys, a narrower ‘Robin Hood’ style. Both of them had a deep pocket at the back of the neck, caused by the fold over of the hood over the collar. It was a great place for a beetle to hide as there was no chance of being squashed. She already had plenty of dirt for her first article. Harry Potter refuses family name. It was a great start.

She crawled out of Ron’s hood and flew up to rest on a torch sconce. The boy needed a closer acquaintance with soap and water.

She managed to get out of Hogwarts, to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and into Hogsmead. She took a quick floo trip in to the Prophet offices to write the first of a series of articles on the Tri-Wizard. It was published the next day, a day she spent at her apartment, resting.

The morning brought grumpy people to the tables, and newspapers. 

Hermione was the only one in their group who read the whole paper. Neville read two sections and Yusuke read the Wizarding Times Tokyo edition. Her furious screech made everyone nearby flinch.

“Yusuke, will you look at this? This is outrageous. That horrible, evil woman. I’ll hex her to next year. I’ll ... I’ll.” She threw the paper down on the table, just missing her plate.

Yusuke reached over, snagged the paper, applied the translation charm and read the article in question. “Well, so.” He looked over his shoulder. “Go see Shiriusu-Oji. Find out if he’s read this.” The waka just folded right from where he stood.

Ivan, also having read the article, asked, “I don’t see how you can be so calm. Aren’t you going to do something?”

Neville, finishing the article himself, just replied, “Oh, he’s going to do something, all right.”

Odette noticed that all the remaining waka were edging away from Yusuke like he might hit them or something. “Please. I do not understand. This Skeeter woman is allowed to write this sort of tripe without ... being called to account?”

Hermione, very familiar with Skeeter’s ways, sneered, “She’s patronized by the Minister of Magic himself. Try to do anything about her shite and Fudge will interfere. She’s got to have something on him.”

Odette looked disappointed. “Oh, I see.”

Yusuke smiled, like a shark in a school of fish. “I’ll make her life miserable. She’ll wish she’d never heard of me.” He motioned to a waka and gave low voiced instructions.

He then turned to the high table. “Headmistress McGonagall?” She nodded to him. “One, did Dumbledore take that mailbox with him? and Two, I’ll be gone for most of the rest of the day. As Champion, I have the right to come and go much as I please.”

“You do. Dumbledore took his three mailboxes with him. If he hadn’t, I’d have seen that he had them. I don’t want anything to do with any of that mess. If you leave, I would appreciate it if you’d tell me beforehand and check back when you return. Only because I need to know, personally, that you are safe. If you choose to stay at ... Ken No Ie. I’d like to be informed of that, as well.”

“As you wish. I will be going down to Ken No Ie today.” He turned to Hermione. “Will you update my study guide?”

Hermione nodded. “I will. We’re supposed to attend the lectures today, to get our term work. I’ll do that and update your book.” She scowled hotly. “Do not let that awful woman get away with this.” She flopped into her chair, muttering darkly, and proceeded to stab a sausage as if it was that innocent link’s fault.

Neville just told Yusuke, “Call me, if you need me,” and went back to his own breakfast.

Yusuke also folded out of the Great Hall, making Karkaroff and Maxime stare and Headmistress McGonagall mutter, “Showoff.”


	34. Chapter 34

893.34

 

At Ken No Ie, Sirius was blowing his top. Remus had simply shredded the paper, throwing scraps all over.

Remus had noticed that he still got irritable before the full moon. Before Japan, the two days before the full moon and the two after had been hard. Now, with the potion he was taking, the day before, he was irritable, the day of, he was very irritable. The night of the full moon, he changed, but he kept his mind. He knew who he was and was in total control of himself, even if he was cranky. Today was the day before the full moon and he was not a happy were. Someone had attacked his godson. With words, to be sure, but still.

“Not happy!” Remus’ snarl made Sirius grunt.

“Well, I’m not happy either. But trying to get that bitch to see reason isn’t going to work.”

“I’ll bite her.” Remus knew that this wasn’t a solution but the threat made him feel better.

“Won’t help. Then she’d just be an even bigger bitch. We need something else.” Sirius motioned to a gaki. “Tea.”

Yusuke arrived before the tea. “Remusu-aniki! Shiriusu-oji! That Skeeter ... woman has to be ... I’ll chop her into fish bait.”

Sirius just nodded to him and asked, “What did the poor fish do to you?”

Yusuke flopped down on a zabuton and stuffed a pillow under his arm so as to support him in his sprawl. “Nothing. You’re right. But something has to be done ... and soon.”

Sirius nodded over his tea. “You’re right. It’s too early in the morning for all this ... craziness. Eat some breakfast.”

Yusuke settled to eat, sitting up siza and taking a bowl of rice. “Ok, ok. But what are we going to do about that woman?”

“Don’t know yet. Something. Need to know more about her first.” Sirius took his chopsticks and put a fish on a plate then handed it to Yusuke. “Remus?”

“No, I thank you. Only tea for me. Stomach went off on me.” Remus made a face and put a hand on his stomach.

“Usually does.” Sirius, used to Remus’ touchy ‘moon’ stomach, left him alone.

Yusuke ate quietly, thinking hard. He finally asked, “I’d like to know how she learned what she did. Who said what to who?”

“I think it’s ‘who said what to whom,’” Sirius pointed out.

Yusuke’s answer was rude, in Japanese, and physically impossible, as Remus pointed out.

Sirius called the waka that were staying in Hogwarts and questioned them, explaining that they weren’t under suspicion, but perhaps they’d seen something that was important, only they didn’t know it was. 

They all thought carefully but no one came up with anything. One waka did complain that the castle was full of bugs.

Sirius started then asked, “What kind of bug?”

“Beetles. I see them flying around from time to time. Most around that red-headed boy.” The waka shook his head. “He stinks. Bath is not his thing.”

Remus, thinking hard, asked, “Can you describe it better?”

“No. I am sorry. But I will be on the lookout for it.” The waka nodded once. “If I’m not needed?”

Yusuke waved his hand. “No, you can go. Be ready to return to the castle in an hour.” He finished his tea and stood up. “Now, I will go speak to that woman.”

Sirius shook his head. “No, you will not. I will. If I remember correctly, she was a fourth year when we were seventh. And ... something...” he glanced at Remus but Remus shook his head. “Ok. I’m going. Yusuke-san, you go back to school. Or hunt for one of your targets.”

Yusuke decided to wander around Diagon Alley for a bit. He signaled to his bodyguards and folded away.

They folded in right in the middle of the street. Yusuke had consulted with his father, brothers and Remus and Sirius about keeping things secret. Musashi-san had allowed that keeping secrets was all well and good but, in this case, they needed to draw the targets out as their network was a bit thin in England. There were feelers out but no luck yet.

He wandered around a bit, looking in windows and thinking. People stared, pointed at him and whispered.

He finally barked, "Nani gan kureten da yo?!" Everyone in the street just stared even harder. 

The waka eased him into Knockturn Alley, just to get him away from the staring idiots. The people in Knockturn Alley were a lot smarter, they bowed to him and went on. He made his way to an inn called the Dew Drop Inn. The play on words completely escaped him, but he settled in a booth in the back and held court.

He sent for anyone who had gossip to tell; in return they got a meal and several drinks.

Remus’ had told him about marking Madam Malkin’s shop and the small shop run by Sartor Needleman, that had served him. He wanted to know how that had gone.

He found out that Madam was in dire straits. She still had the patronage of many of the upper class, those that didn’t go to France for their clothing, but they were slow payers, at best. However, those men who patronized Twillfit and Tattings, still shopped there. Everyone else now went to the small shop run by Mr. Needleman which was called, unoriginally, Needleman’s Tailor Shop. And Mr. Needleman was quite firm, pay on delivery. He’d had a few customers insist that they’d pay when their things were owl delivered and then refuse to pay until the new quarter. That hadn’t been that good an idea. They were all accosted by thugs who’d stripped them down to their underwear and taken the unpaid-for clothing with them. 

Yusuke laughed himself silly over that.

He’d also found out that Borgin and Burkes wasn’t rebuilt. Someone, no one was quite sure who, had bought the lot and built a small lending library there. It was patronized by just about everyone who could read. After all, it was much better to pay to find out you liked a book than to find out you didn’t. And the fees were fairly reasonable at only a knut per day per book. Every other library charged by the word.

He also got a quick report on the Businessmen’s Association. They had hired the yakuza to provide muscle to their guardsmen, on demand. The representative had dropped by just to say that they were very pleased with the arrangement and to pay that quarter's payment. Yusuke bowed slightly, dropped the purse in his pocket and told a bystanding waka to make a note to tell Remus that the protection money was paid.

He hung around most of the day, hoping for some news on one of his targets. Remus showed up in late afternoon to collect him.

“Let’s go home. No luck here. And Sirius wants to talk to you.” Remus lifted his lip at a thug who looked like he was about to do something stupid. He was cranky and wanted to get home, take his potion and have a hot soak before the moon rose. 

Yusuke stood up and waved the bartender over. “If you have any news, send it to Ken No Ie by messenger. Do not send an owl, I’m not getting them. Dumbledore has done something. I believe it is an attempt to interfere between me and my father. Oh! That reminds me.”

He ambled out, followed by Remus and his waka. “Remusu-aniki, I need some pranks. Advise me.”

Remus considered for a moment. “Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes is the best. Zonko’s comes off a poor second. What do you have in mind?”

“I’m going to pay them to mail things to me. Only, we all know that Dumbledore is going to get it instead. Something embarrassing that proves he’s messing with my mail.” Yusuke smoked as he walked.

Remus nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me. And the twins will love it. Might want to ... on second thought, never mind.”

Yusuke, knowing what Remus had been about to suggest, shook his head. “Not going to put a limit on them. I’ll give them a certain amount of money and a time frame. What they choose to do, inside those parameters, is their business. But ... I would truly love for him to show up at a task with a multi-colored beard.”

Remus laughed. “I’m sure the guys can arrange that. Here we are.” He opened the door to the shop, waved his hand and entered.

Yusuke was well aware that the twins had set up a booby trap on their door. One that played a harmless prank on every third or fourth customer, it wore off in about five minutes. He also negated it with a wave of his hand.

“George Weasley, at your service.” Fred smiled at them.

“Well, Fred...” Remus began. 

Fred made a face. “How can you always tell?”

Remus touched his nose. “Smell. I can tell you apart by that. I can even tell members of the same family. Now. We need to get this done, Yusuke-san.”

Yusuke glanced at his watch. “So we do.” He quickly explained what he wanted to Fred

Fred eyed him for a moment then grinned fit to split his face. “You ... you’re telling me that you’ll pay us to prank Dumbledore because he’s stealing your mail? You got it. Any limits?”

Yusuke shrugged. “Use your own discretion. But I’ll be very displeased if this comes back on me.”

George came up behind Fred. “What?”

Fred looked at his brother for a moment then said, “Dumbledore. Prank. Mail.”

George nodded. “Ok. Great.”

Yusuke handed over a bag of money. “Until that’s gone.”

Satisfied, Yusuke headed for the door with Remus on his heels.

.

Yusuke returned to Hogwarts late and went to the juku to check his inbox. This was different from his mailbox and not connected to anything. It was just a simple box on his desk. There was nothing in it, so he picked up his schedule book. Hermione had promised to update it and she had. He was pleased to see that quite a bit of the term's assignments were highlighted in green. This meant that he’d already done the reading and worksheet. 

He was also pleased to see that History of Magic wasn’t on the list. And Divination, which he’d refused to take. All he had was Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense, Arithmancy and Runes. There was a note that he almost missed. Hermione wrote that, as Champion of Hogwarts, he didn’t have to take any classes at all and he was exempt from detention. She added, ‘Unless you do something totally outrageous.’ But he wasn’t too worried.

Neville greeted him with a quick smile but said, “Yusuke, you’re wanted in the Headmistress's office first thing in the morning for some sort of silliness.”

Yusuke shrugged, picked up Mrs. Norris and said, “Ok, what time?”

“Right after breakfast.” He stuck his nose back in his book. 

Yusuke sneered at nothing and went up to sit on his bed and pet Mrs. Norris. The cat was happy and purred like a small buzz-saw.

Yusuke propped a book up on a pillow on his stomach and moved Mrs. Norris to a place beside him. He read until late, acknowledging Dean and Seamus when they came in. He ignored Ron but told Neville. “Exercise in the morning before breakfast. Dojo. Okay?”

Neville stripped down to his underthings, and Yusuke noticed that he still wore old-fashioned smalls. He also noticed that the once chubby boy was now a very hard young man. Neville noticed and asked, “What?”

“Nothing, just checking your condition. You look fit now.” Yusuke returned to his book.

Neville shrugged. “Well, I work at it,” he smirked at Yusuke. 

“Yes, you do. I’m proud to be your sensei.” Yusuke glanced up with a quick smile.

Neville just blushed before heading for a shower.

.

Neville was up in good time that morning. Yusuke joined him in the shower, sweating just a bit.

Neville snorted water out of his face. “What are you up and about this early?”

“Just things.” Yusuke grinned. “Run? Then kata?”

“Ok. And some hand-to-hand.” Neville thought he was getting pretty good and wanted Yusuke’s opinion.

“Hand-to-hand? Very well. I’ll try not to kick your ass too hard.” Yusuke was looking forward to the exercise. The holidays had been very busy and he hadn’t gotten in as much exercise as he liked. He was feeling restless.

They ran around the front of Hogwarts, down to Ken No Ie and back up again. This made a good run of about a mile and a half. They completed the circuit then ran down to the Quidditch pitch and back. Yusuke noticed that the pitch was hidden behind some sort of obscuring charm. Who couldn’t, since the whole pitch seemed to be in a fog bank?

They completed their run on the side lawn. Headmistress McGonagall, after complaints from both Madam Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff, had requested that Yusuke and Neville take their workouts somewhere other than the inner courtyard they favored, so they trotted through the halls to the dojo, which was now repaired.

“Ok. Throws? Or spar?” Yusuke shucked off his sweaty running suit and toweled himself down.

Neville followed suit and they both donned gi. 

Neville stepped onto the mats and bowed to the front of the dojo, then to Yusuke. Yusuke also bowed to the front altar, then turned and bowed to Neville.

“Good. You remembered. Now. We don’t need to warm up, but I want you to stretch.” Yusuke began his stretching. He had been taught and learned from experience that, if you had time, you’d better stretch. A strained groin muscle wasn’t fun.

Neville also stretched. Yusuke had told him that stretching was necessary; if you didn’t have time that was one thing, but if you did have time, you stretched.

“Good. Now that we’re ready, push with me.”

Pushing was a part of Tai Chi where two people went through a set of forms that were related. One participant attacked, the other defended; it was a kata. This one was particularly hard and Yusuke was more than pleased to find that Neville, while not keeping up easily, was not missing any of the forms.

“Yamatte!” Neville stepped back. “Good, good. There were a few rough spots but all in all, very good. Next we fight.” Yusuke smirked at Neville. “I’ll try not to break anything.”

 

“Thanks ever so.” Neville’s reply was loaded with sarcasm. 

Yusuke set himself and waited for Neville to attack. He did and flew over Yusuke’s shoulder as he was caught in a simple throw.

“Neville, you know better than that. Again.” Yusuke frowned, Neville was better than that. “Pay attention.”

Neville apologized. “Sorry. I’ll do better.”

Neville did do better on the next attempt. He didn’t get Yusuke but he didn’t get thrown either. They continued to work for another 30 minutes then Yusuke congratulated Neville on a good workout and called a halt.

“Yoi, yoi.” Yusuke bowed. “Enough. We better head up and shower.”

They trotted easily, finishing their cool-down on the way up to Gryffindor. Neither one of them noticed the beetle flying after them. It ducked behind painting frames anytime it looked like they might see it. 

“Yusuke, you stink.” Hermione looked up from her book. She grinned at the two as they trotted up the stairs to the boys’ dorm.

Yusuke called over his shoulder. “You need to run. Don’t get lazy on me.”

Hermione yelled, “I run on the treadmills. I’m not freezing my knickers off, running around out in the cold.”

Neville popped his head back down the stair hole to say, “Yeah? And when you need to be used to the cold, you won’t be.”

.

Breakfast was one of those ones where everyone was either half asleep still, or busily studying for a predicted pop quiz. No one paid much attention to anything.

Yusuke ate quickly, keeping one eye on the other champions. They were eating quickly too.

When they were done, Headmistress McGonagall nodded to them. “Time. Come along to my office.”

The office was a bit crowded with all the people in it. Madam Maxime was with Odette and Karkaroff was with Ivan. Yusuke had the usual compliment of waka, as well as Headmistress McGonagall and Sirius Black. 

The Weighing of the Wands would be done by Ollivander himself, overseen by Ludo Bagman.

Headmistress McGonagall was annoyed to find that, somehow, Rita Skeeter had found her way in. Bagman greeted her like a long lost lamb. Karkaroff sneered at her, revealing yellowing teeth. Madam Maxime looked down her patrician nose at the flashy woman, an easy thing for her to do considering her height.

Miss Skeeter ignored all this, motioning to her camera man to step up so he could take pictures of the weighing. 

This didn’t go over that well with anyone. Ivan actually hid behind Karkaroff. Odette stood beside Madam Maxime, Madam sneered at the camera and moved her arm to block Odette from the camera, spoiling the picture. Bozo, the camera man, frowned but went to the next subject.

Ivan held still for one picture then told Bozo that, if he didn’t approve of the picture, there would be trouble. Bozo snorted rudely but moved on to Yusuke.

Yusuke didn’t bother to try to hide from the camera, he just cast a spell that everyone in the Kazoku knew. It blurred pictures but didn’t show to the naked eye.

Ludo Bagman tried to get a picture taken with each of the Champions, but Karkaroff flatly said no. Madam Maxime wanted to know if he realized what inferences might be made from a man of his age and position having a picture taken of him hugging an 18-year-old French girl. Yusuke just threatened to break his fingers if he didn’t quit touching him. 

Mr. Ollivander called them all to order by tapping his wand on the table, producing a loud chime. Everyone turned to face him.

“Thank you. Everyone take a place. Gather around.” He gave everyone an avuncular smile that put Yusuke’s teeth on edge. 

Sirius patted him on the shoulder then leaned over to mumbled, “Don’t be alone with Skeeter or that photographer. And don’t let Ollie get on your nerves.”

Yusuke gave a quick nod. “Fine. I won’t. But, if that photographer shoots off one more flash bulb in my face, I’m going to kick his ass.”

Sirius turned to glare at Bozo, who just gave him a perky smile back. Rita was instructing him to take various photos and fussing with her hair. She needed at least one good group photo and was surreptitiously prodding people into better position. She wouldn’t realize that all the photos were worthless until much later. All the waka, and Sirius, had the same charm Yusuke did.

The only photos that were any good were the single photos of Karkaroff, McGonagall, Ollivander, and Bagman. 

Mr Ollivander started the proceedings by asking Odette to produce her wand. 

She did so and handed it over with a little curtsey. “Sir.”

“Merci, Mademoiselle Odette.” He examined the wand. “Excellent shape. Beech with a nightmare mane hair. A bit different. But...” He gave it a wave and produced a stream of foul-smelling smoke. “Ah! And very particular. Well.” He banished the smoke with his own wand then set Odette’s in the pan of a balance scale. He placed small weights carefully, then read off the results when it balanced. He wiped it off with a soft cloth then handed it back. “Thank you.”

Odette took her wand and returned to her place at Madam Maxime’s side.

Ivan was next and handed his wand over with a Russian bow. “My wand.”

“So it is. Thank you, good sir.” Again Ollivander waved the wand. This time he produced an explosion of feathers. “My goodness me! Well. Cherry wood with a gryphon pinfeather core. Interesting combination.” he used his wand to banish the feathers then weighed this wand. 

Ivan took his wand and tucked it up his sleeve, silently returning to Karkaroff’s side.

Yusuke was up next, but there was a slight problem; he wasn’t sure where his wand was. Everyone looked rather shocked. He shrugged and began pulling things out of his mallet space. 

“Ok ... Not that.” a large basket was dropped on the floor. “Mmmmm, wondered where that went.” Another object was dropped carelessly on a table. “Ha! No. Well ... shimatta.” He continued to rummaged, drop things all over and mutter. 

Sirius was hysterical, he actually had to lean on a waka to keep from falling on his ass. The waka all managed to keep straight faces―they were senior men and well trained― but it was a close run thing. 

Headmistress McGonagall amused herself by banishing anything she was sure was trash. Karkaroff and Maxime watched in wonder, as did Odette and Ivan; they’d never seen a mallet space before.

The rest of the group was silent, had no idea what to make of this and were mostly just impatient to finish.

Yusuke finally found his wand. “Yes, here it is.” He produced it with a flourish and handed it to Mr Ollivander. Yusuke returned to his mess and started sorting through it.

Mr Ollivander watched him, bemused and a bit amused. 

Yusuke looked up, “Oi! Get on with it. I don’t have to stand right there and watch your every move.”

Ollivander blinked in surprise, Bozo took pictures and Rita scribbled away on her pad, or, rather, her Quick Quotes Quill did. 

Ollivander examined the wand and announced, “Yes, holly and phoenix feather. Very nice.” He waved it and it produced a few sparkles. “Humm. Not much used. Extraordinary.” He weighed it, polished it, and started to hand it back to Yusuke.

Yusuke was still messing about in his mallet space. He’d absently pulled a huge pile of stuff out of it and was now busily stuffing it all back. He sorted as he packed and tossed another pile of trash and junk over his shoulder. Headmistress McGonagall laughed and banished it all.

Yusuke finished his work and turned to Mr Ollivander. “You done?”

Ollivander indicated that he was by handing Yusuke back his wand. “You don’t use that much.” It wasn’t a question.

“No. I can, if I have to, but mostly, I don’t.” Yusuke offered Mr Ollivander a cigarette. “Is that a problem?”

Ollivander took the cigarette, puffed, gagged slightly and said, “No ... ahem ... not particularly.” He looked around. “Um ... Yes.”

Nearly everyone jumped when Moody took the cigarette from Ollivander and began to smoke it. Yusuke, Sirius and the waka had seen him come in. Headmistress McGonagall had felt him. The rest of the group were all startled.

Moody laughed, snorting smoke out his nostrils. “Yeah. So weight and all that done?”

Ollivander nodded. “It is. I’ll be going now.”

Mr Bagman, not about to miss out on a photo opportunity, dragged the old man over to Bozo and put an arm around his shoulders. Mr Ollivander shrugged it off and managed to turn his head so that Bozo only got a three-quarter profile, of the back of his head. 

“Mr Moody, you could escort me out, if you would.” 

Moody chuckled again and led the way, puffing smoke like a small tug boat. Ollivander ignored the rings that hovered around his head, obscuring any chance of a photo. Bozo grimaced.

Rita decided to leave Bozo to his business and interview ... someone. 

She tried Odette but she, wise girl, told Rita that her father or mother would have to be there for any interview. Madam Maxime then hustled the girl off. Odette didn’t resist, instead announcing that she was already late for her first class.

Ivan used this as an excuse too. Karkaroff bared his teeth at Rita again and hustled his charge off too.

Yusuke glanced at Sirius, shook his head and started for the door. Rita, seeing her last chance at an interview escaping, grabbed at him. This did not turn out as she’d hopped. 

“Let me go.” Yusuke plucked her hand off his sleeve and dropped it like it was dirty.

“Oh, please. You’re not going to tell me you don’t want to give an interview. With your ... family connections ... I’d think you’d like a nice article.” Rita smirked at him. Most people with ... shady backgrounds ... were very careful of her.

“You mean that, because I am yakuza, I should cringe before you. So that you do not ... Sirius?” Yusuke was rapidly forgetting his English.

“Oh, yeah. Yellow Journalism at its best. But, see, Mrs. Skeeter, we really don’t care. Tell all. Please. If you attract enough attention from the wrong, or right, people? Bad things happen.” Sirius graced her with what Remus called the ‘Black Smile’. It wasn’t nice.

“Are you threatening me?” Rita managed to sound scandalized. 

Yusuke flicked his fingers. Rita’s notes burst into flame and her quill shot straight up; it stuck, point-first, into the ceiling. Headmistress McGonagall quenched the notes with an Aquamenti, completing their destruction.

“Miss Skeeter, if you cannot control your magic, perhaps you should leave.” The smirk on the headmistress's face told its own story. “I’d suggest you do so now, before you miss the train.”

Not many people knew that Rita had failed her exam for an Apparation License twice. She still avoided it like plague and only used that method of travel when all else failed. In this case, she’d rather take the train than apparate. The floo from Hogwarts was only for students, staff and their families, and Rita had offended both Aberforth Dumbledore and Madam Rosmerta so neither one would let her use their floo. All other floos in the village were private.

Rita muttered a few swear words but left in good time. She wasn’t going to take the train back to London without something, so she darted into a dark corner and transformed. She’d get some dirt on that boy, and the Russian and French champions yet. She did regret the loss of her quill and notebook, but she’d manage quite well. After all, if she didn’t remember exactly, she could just make something up.

.

Yusuke eyed the paper the next morning and just called a waka over. The waka in question was a tough man―he was a former knee-breaker, a Settoku-sha or persuader. He’d seen some things that would turn your hair white. But the look in Yusuke’s eyes made him tremble. “Miyamoto-oojisama?”

“Ask Remusu-aniki to come up at his convenience.” 

Hermione finished her copy of the Daily Prophet and sighed. “Well, that’s ... I’m glad my name isn’t Skeeter.”

Neville shrugged. “I’m writing to Gran. And I’m canceling my personal subscription.”

Hermione thought about that for a moment then asked, “If you do that, how are you going to know what she’s writing?”

Neville looked at her for a moment. “The House gets a copy. As does the library. I’m sure, if all else fails, I can find a copy that someone has discarded.”

Remus folded in right between the tables. Ron grumbled that that wasn’t supposed to be possible. Remus looked at him for a moment then said, “There are more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy, young man.”

Yusuke said, “My philosophy right now is how to kill this Skeeter bitch without getting caught.”

Remus snorted. “Like you’re really planning that.” Yusuke looked at him. “You wouldn’t have threatened so publicly if you were.”

Yusuke shrugged. “So. But this is unacceptable. What do we do?”

“We don’t do anything. I’ll deal. Or Sirius will. Allow us to do our jobs. We’ll put a cork in her, one way or another.” He picked at his lip for a moment. “I’d just like to know how she’s getting some of this information.” 

Yusuke nodded. “Me too. She’s got someone on the inside. And, just to change the subject. Do you know anything about the first task?”

“No. Hagrid is being singularly closed-mouthed about things.” Remus nodded to Hermione and Neville. “Miss Granger. Longbottom.” Then he folded back to Ken No Ie to put his head together with Sirius to figure out what to do about the nuisance of the Daily Prophet and Rita Skeeter.

.

Sirius just considered all the options, including blowing up the presses, but decided to start out low-key. He wrote a letter to the editor. He got a reply that said, basically, “Tough.” He shoved it into a file and sent a team of waka to ‘speak’ to the editor.

The wakashu who was the leader of the group spoke English; not well, but well enough to make himself understood.

“You do not lay ink on the Oojisama. We do not like it. If you tell truth, ok. Lies, you get hurt. Next time not fix so easy. Yes?”

The editor moaned; the gaki muscle had broken all the fingers on his right hand and his jaw. He managed to nod, he couldn’t really speak. He knew that Skeeter had been writing articles about Harry Potter. He had instructions from Minister Fudge that he wasn’t to interfere with her, but this was just too much. He didn’t really care whether her articles were truthful or not, they sold papers. But getting beaten up by slanty-eyed foreigners who could barely speak English was the outside of enough. He’d have words with the proofreaders and typesetters. As soon as he got out of St. Mungo’s.

Meanwhile, Miss Skeeter was making her way into the Gryffindor boys’ dorm. She had finally found the way in. All she had to do was crawl up the ceiling instead of the wall. Whoever had set wards hadn’t bothered with that. She wondered who would set up a female-repelling ward, not knowing of Hermione’s habit of invading the boys’ dorm at any time. Yusuke had set up the ward to prevent Hermione from invading at inconvenient times. All she had to do was ask to come up and the reply of, “Made okoshi, kudasai,” would allow her entrance.

Rita opened her hard wingcovers and fluttered quickly into the nearest bed curtain. She was sure that the boys would talk about something interesting. She hoped to get more dirt on Potter. And maybe even find out why he hated the name Potter.

Ron, having noticed a beetle around him from time to time, had decided to keep an eye out for it. He wondered how a beetle could survive in Hogwarts. It was cold and drafty in the corridors and there were enough pets and familiars that liked bugs that it was a wonder to him that one of them hadn’t either eaten it or played it to death. So he decided to either catch it or squash it.

Seamus wandered up from the common room, saw Ron looking at the ceiling and asked, “What’s with this?”

“Bug.” Ron’s terse comment made sense to Seamus as they’d discussed the bug. Seamus had seen it too. As had Dean. Neville and Yusuke didn’t spend enough time around the other boys to have seen it, yet.

Seamus glanced around. “Where?”

“Don’t know. I just caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye. It went over there.” He waved a hand in the general direction of the bed Rita had hidden in.

Dean came up just then, and got the same explanation that Seamus had gotten. Since it was his bed, he was naturally not that pleased.

“Well, I don’t care. I don’t want to wake up with some nasty bug crawling on my face. Let’s find it.”

Seamus nodded. “Yes. We better not kill it, though, Granger will go mental. Something about everything having a right to live.”

Ron snorted. “Ok, fine. We’ll just throw it out the window.”

Yusuke came up the stairs just then. Seeing the gathering he asked, “What’s up?”

He got the same explanation the other two boys had gotten. Neville, right behind Yusuke, offered, “What Hermione doesn’t know, she won’t grieve over. Just squash the damn thing and be done with it.”

Rita, hearing that, panicked. She tried to get back down the stairs by flying over Neville’s head. He batted at her but missed, however, the breeze of his swat sent her into a tumble. Yusuke ducked.

Seamus saw the glittering beetle and snatched it out of the air. “Dean!”

Dean, knowing what was wanted, threw the window open. Seamus tossed the bug in the general direction of the window.

Ron knew that the throw wasn’t going to take the bug out and he slapped at it, knocking it spinning and helping it on its way out the window.

Yusuke nodded. “Great reflexes. Why are there bugs in Hogwarts in winter?”

“No idea.” Neville brushed the whole thing off. “Never mind that. What do you think the first task will be? Now that it’s not dragons.”

Yusuke shrugged. “Something involving one or more of Hagrid’s pets.”

Seamus scowled. “That leaves a wide range of wee beasties. Some of them more tooth and claw than wee."

Dean opined that it was Blast-ended Skroots.

Ron shook his head. “They’re not old enough. Only adolescents. They don’t blast yet. Gryphons. That’s what it is.”

Hermione called and was allowed up. She flopped on Yusuke’s bed since he was sitting in a conjured chair. “What’s going on?”

Informed that they were trying to figure out the task, she frowned. “Is that allowed? Not that I care anymore, but it wouldn’t do to get caught.”

Yusuke said, “I don’t see how. If someone was to tell us, that might be. But guessing? Don’t think so.”

“Well, not Gryphons, Ron. They’re protected. That decree from the ICW included all protected species. Although, I would like to see what Yusuke might do with a gryphon. After all, he did deal quite well with the Basilisk.” She smoothed her robes idly.

Seamus frowned. “A Banshee? They’re not protected. But ... I think the last one that was seen was ... Don’t know. Long time ago.”

Hermione puzzled over that for a moment then announced, “You’re right. Eighteen-something-or-other. Can’t be that.”

Dean offered. “The giant squid? He ... or she ... could guard just about anything.”

Yusuke shot that one down. “Doubt that the officials want someone drowned on the first task. No, it’ll be something dangerous but not deadly.”

A sudden shout from outside the window made them all rush over to see what was going on.

A cluster of fifth years had gathered around a recumbent figure. A woman, it seemed. Madam Pomfrey hurried up and sent them all on their way. She knelt by the figure for a moment then waved her wand. Her voice floated up to them, courtesy of a charm by Yusuke. “St. Mungo’s. I don’t know what Mrs. Skeeter is doing here. Looks like she took a nasty tumble off the battlements.”

Hermione scowled for a moment then stuck her head out the window. She drew back in and announced firmly, “Not possible. She’d have had to ...” she snapped her mouth shut, eyed Yusuke for a moment then looked at the other boys. “She fell, or jumped, off the battlements.”

Yusuke, who’d been examining the battlements, tower, and ground below himself, agreed, “Hermione is right. That is the only possible explanation.”

Seamus glanced from Yusuke to Hermione. “There’s something you’re not telling us.”

Yusuke glared at him. “Rita Skeeter fell, or jumped off the battlements. The only other explanation is not ... probable.”

Ron sneered, “And what’s that? If I might make so bold.”

Hermione eyed Ron like she’d like to hex him.

Dean whispered softly. “The only other explanation is that someone pushed her out one of the windows on this side of Gryffindor Tower.”

Seamus crossed himself and muttered, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.”

They heard at dinner that Mrs Skeeter would be in St. Mungo’s for at least a month and in recovery for another. It seemed that she’d been hit with something resembling a bludger, then hit the ground. Most of the major bones in her torso were broken, as well as her back.

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose and opined, “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.”

Hermione agreed. “Well, at least that’s the end of those articles.”

Yusuke nodded. “Fine.”

Neville shook his head. “Don’t bet on it. I bet someone else will start writing similar shite in the next two days.”

Yusuke eyed him for a moment. “A fiver says not.”

Hermione held out a hand and Yusuke and Neville both put five galleons in it. She tucked it away in her robes, never taking her eyes off her book.

Seamus eyed the thick tome. “What are you reading? You don’t usually bring books to table anymore.”

Hermione mumbled. “Rules and regulations of the Tri-Wizard Through the Ages. I’m trying to find some way to keep that ass Bagman under some sort of control. He’s off his rocker. All he thinks about is making this thing as exciting as possible. I’ve managed to write a list of things he can’t do and send it to, not only him, but the Daily Prophet, the ICW and the Board of Governors of all three schools. I’m going to keep that idiot from killing someone.”

Yusuke blinked for a moment. “Well, send a copy to Shiriusu-oji as well.”

“Ok. I do wonder if my mail got through.” Hermione paused, frowned and scribbled a note. “I haven’t gotten any replies yet.”

Yusuke poked at something on a platter then handed it on. “Did you send it by owl? Or by one of the waka.”

“By waka. Can I ask ... why are we sitting at Gryffindor table?” Hermione glanced around, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Because you are sitting here.” Yusuke grinned at Ivan, who was seated at the champions' table alone. Odette was at Beauxbatons table, gossiping with her friends. Dumbledore’s idea hadn’t gone down as well as he’d thought. No one wanted to eat at that table with the whole school staring at them. Spoiled the appetite rather quickly.

Hermione returned her attention to the book, muttering, “Oh, well, did wonder.”

Yusuke snickered, Neville joined him and soon the whole table was laughing merrily.

Headmistress McGonagall had ignored Ludo Bagman’s demands that all the champions be made to sit exclusively at the champions' table. “They’ll sit where they will and I’ll thank you to stay away from them. Especially Odette. It does not look good for you to be hovering over the young people. Too many people will think the wrong thing.”

Bagman sputtered in indignation but agreed to keep his distance except when refereeing a task.

When dinner was finished McGonagall stood up to make an announcement. She’d timed herself very well. All the students were still in the Great Hall, most of them on seconds of afters. “Everyone. Your attention for a moment. The first task is, as you know, on Saturday. It will be held after lunch, beginning at 1:30 pm. All students may attend, the stadium is set up with a section for each school and country. Seating for others is first come, first served. Do not sell your seat, if someone not a student is in your seat there will be trouble. I make myself plain, I hope.”

There was a bit of groaning here and there but, for the most part, the students were satisfied with the arrangements. They were mostly just happy to be separated from the general population. That sort could get a bit on the rough side. 

They all were dismissed to go about their business and the Great Hall cleared quickly.

Yusuke and friends headed up to the juku to do homework. When they got there, Hermione had several answers to her letters. All the answers were to her satisfaction. 

She smiled, then tucked her letter into a folder which contained several other letters.


	35. Chapter 35

893.35

 

The morning of the task dawned bright, clear and cold. Yusuke dragged himself out of bed, grumbling. He was wide awake, as usual, but he was freezing. He decided to wear a heavy ski suit to the task so he dug it out and handed it to a waka, telling him, “Here, keep this handy, and these boots.” He handed over heavy hiking boots. He could have put it all in mallet space, but he didn’t want to have to dig for it. Besides, it was impressive to have a manservant nearby.

Breakfast was a circus; Mr Bagman and Mr Crouch were both in attendance. The champions were seated at the champions' table, along with their advisors. There was a new reporter, accompanied by Bozo, who seemed to be in awe of everything. He was sent to the guests' table on the other side of Slytherin. 

This table was set up to handle all the hangers-on who seemed to think that they were important enough to merit a seat at the high table, which was now crowded with the Governors, a few Aurors, and Minister Fudge. Dumbledore was seated in the throne-like chair at the foot of the table, much to his disgust. But Hogwarts herself had stymied his attempt to take the head of the table. 

Hagrid came in, stumped up to the head table, and whispered something in Dumbledore’s ear. Dumbledore stood up, threw his napkin onto the floor, and hurried out after the retreating giant. He muttered, “Nothing but trouble, I swear. The wards should be in better hands than this.” He felt a strange pulling sensation, but ignored it in favor of getting Hagrid’s charges through the wards.

Headmistress McGonagall noticed the strange push and closed her eyes. “Idiot. That’s torn it.” She had realized that Hogwarts was slowly taking the wards from Dumbledore and giving them to her. Hogwarts, not the Governors, chose the Head. And she seemed done with Dumbledore. No one was sure exactly how the castle chose, but they all knew that she did. The muggles would have had all sorts of theories about AI and ambient magic creating a pseudo-personality. All the magical population knew was that Hogwarts chose, and you’d better not argue with her.

Headmistress McGonagall asked the castle to open the wards to the animals for the task. She didn’t hear any complaining from anyone, so she assumed that the wards had accepted the beasts. She did wonder what they might be, but she figured she’d find out soon enough.

.

Yusuke looked up from his perch on the central fountain. He’d been sitting there, smoking and waiting. The front courtyard was full of visitors and so the champions had gathered in the inner courtyard. With its grassy quadrants and center fountain, it was the most peaceful place they could find. 

They ignored Ludo Bagman as he babbled about what a wonderful opportunity for publicity this was. He was acting a bit off, even for him. Yusuke glanced at Remus. “Find out what the hell he’s really up to, will you?”

“Sure thing. He’s got a bit of a rep as a gambler. Might be something in that.” Remus eyed the man for a moment then motioned to a waka. He gave orders that, if Bagman was in over his head, or even if he wasn’t, the waka was to buy up any and all bets.

Minister Fudge called them to attention. “Everybody! Yes, well. The task will begin shortly. We’ll all process to the stadium now. Come along.”

He led the way, self-important and pleased. He didn’t see what a picture he actually made. To say he was portly was polite, “fat” was more factual. His lime green suit didn’t go well with his complexion, and he found that he had to scurry to stay in the lead.

He was followed by the three champions. Odette Renaud was slim, shapely, and quite beautiful. Her long, honey-blonde hair was in a braid that nearly reached her slim waist. Her robes were heavy wool, but fitted her nicely. Ivan was taller than Odette by about four inches. He had broad shoulders, made even broader by his heavy fur coat. His black hair was hidden by a rabbit-fur ushanka with the earflaps tied on top. He’d opted for Russian traditional clothing of the Cossack sort, so his loose wool trousers were tucked into tall, black leather boots.

Yusuke had been persuaded to leave off the ski suit in favor of more traditional clothing. In other words, he wore the uniform of a samurai. His under-robe, or nagajuban, was heavy white silk; his kimono was quilted of flannel, in deference to the cold. He wore hakama over leggings, and straw sandals. He was armed with his rings, which he never took off, his wand, at Sirius’ insistence, and his daisho. Kūki to Kumo and Kitsuen were tucked into his obi, ready for service. He had his hair in its usual tight tail, but it was double bound with wet silk ribbons to keep it from coming undone. No one realized how tall he actually was until he was standing near someone else. He was as tall as Ivan and nearly as broad through the shoulders. He was obviously a martial artist. He handled his swords easily and it was plain that he’d handled swords most of his life. Bozo was in heaven; this time he’d get plenty of good pictures.

They reached the tent where the champions were to await their turn at the task and ignored Bagman’s lecture about good sportsmanship and something about shared glory. Yusuke smoked, offered cigarettes around and sulked. He wished Bagman would shut up and get on with it.

Karkaroff did too and said so. Madam Maxime added, “I agree. My colleague might not have been particularly polite but he is right. Go about your business and start this. Go.”

Bagman frowned around but, seeing that everyone was looking irritated, he went.

Madam Maxime opened the tent flap so they could all hear the speeches that it seemed everyone and his dog wanted to give. It was another twenty minutes before Mr Bagman was back with the announcement that the beast they were to face was, he paused for heightened effect, a Cynogryphon, brought straight from Ireland for the task.

Yusuke eyed the idiot for a moment then said, “What the fuck is that when it’s at home?”

Sirius sighed. “You’ll love this. It’s a half-eagle, half-dog or -wolf. They live in high mountains, on the side of cliffs. They’re the smallest of the griffon family, but don’t let that fool you. They’re the strongest and meanest. They’re also extremely intelligent, some say on the level of a five- or six-year-old human. They’re also called the chamrosh, or the sky-hound. Some say they’re some god’s gift to dragon-hunters― things heal like lightening. Can bite through almost anything, claws like a bear. It’s a strange thing though, they’ll help people stranded in the mountains, if you don’t try to touch them, that is. And they’re telepathic. Maybe.”

Ivan sighed. “I’m dead. There’s no way to fight something like that.”

Odette frowned. “But ... no one said we had to fight it. They just said we had to get an egg from it.” She thought about that for a moment then walked off.

Ivan watched her then shrugged. “Well, what’s odd. How ... Hmmm.” he wandered off, thinking hard.

Yusuke was sure he knew what Odette was up to; he was also sure it wouldn’t work.

Ivan, he had no idea of.

He also knew exactly what he was going to do.

Sirius looked at his godson. “You’re awfully calm.”

“No sense in going crazy over this. I’m calm because it doesn’t make sense to be anything else.” Yusuke nodded to a waka. “Get me a Tasuki. I forgot.”

The waka hurried off to get the required cord. He returned at the same time Odette did. He helped her finish carrying the large lump of something to the tent. She thanked him and settled beside Madam Maxime to wait her turn.

Ivan also returned but he wasn’t carrying anything.

Remus looked from one contestant to the other then shrugged and sat down.

Yusuke smirked at him. “So. Who goes first?”

Remus laughed. “Not my problem. When do you want to go?”

“I don’t know. If I go first, I’ll give my trick away. But if I go last the cynogryphon might be pissed.”

Sirius thought about it for a moment. “Go last. Remus?”

“Last, if you have a choice.”

“Okay.” Yusuke went back to his smoking.

It turned out that no one had any idea how to pick the order, now that Bagman’s trick with the toy dragons wouldn’t work. Yusuke pulled a deck of cards out of his sleeve and offered to cut for place. He sorted the cards with a flick of his hand, showing the three cards to everyone. He then handed the cards to Sirius. Sirius simply fanned them in one hand then held the hand out to Odette. “Ladies first.” she drew a card, then Ivan, then Yusuke. 

Odette showed her card, it had one fan on it. Ivan had two fans while Yusuke had three.

Sirius nodded to Odette. “You are first, Ivan second and Yusuke last. Good luck to all of you.”

They settled back again but it wasn’t but a few minutes before Odette was called. She left and they could hear cheering and a loud roar. Then a short scream. 

Odette didn’t come back to the tent, but no one expected her to. Madam Maxime didn’t come in either.

Karkaroff put his head to Ivan’s and they had a quick, fierce conversation; as they whispered, no one heard them. Yusuke didn’t care, he could read lips. What they talked about wasn’t pertinent to the problem, but they didn’t know that.

Ivan left, head high. There was no roaring or screaming this time, but the crowd cheered loudly.

Yusuke nodded to Sirius. “Guess it’s my turn. Wonder how Odette and Ivan actually did.” He took the tasuki and used it to tie his sleeves back by simply sticking one end in his mouth and then passing the other in an X across his back, catching the left sleeve with it, then tying the ends together. This caught both sleeves and pulled them back, a waka stepped forward to tuck the ends of the sleeves under the X at his back; this would keep them out of his way if he had to use his swords.

Yusuke was announced as Harry Potter and scowled. He ambled into the stadium and saw his opponent. He couldn’t actually think of the thing as a beast―it was very handsome. It had the body of a large horse, a percheron perhaps. Wings like an eagle, only huge; he didn’t dare guess at the span. It had the head of a hawk and likewise the feet, and a tail like a lion. All in all, it was more than a bit scary.

The Cynogryphon watched him as he walked into the stadium; the intelligence in its eyes made him change his plan completely. He didn’t need to fight this creature, he needed to reason with it.

Yusuke produced a cigarette and squatted on his heels to smoke. He didn’t even look at the creature. He kept his head down and waited. 

It didn’t take long before the curious creature couldn’t stand it any longer. He felt a nudge on his shoulder but ignored it.

He finally felt the thought. “What?”

He still didn’t look up. He tried to project what he was thinking, forming clear words in his mind. “Smoke.”

“Why?”

“I like it.” He blew out some smoke.

“Stinks.” The Cynogryphon shook his head.

“Sorry.” Yusuke put the cigarette out then carefully stood up.

He was just short enough that he wasn’t quite eye to eye with it. 

“What you want?”

“That.” Yusuke pointed to the golden egg on the ground just by the stake the Cynogryphon was chained to.

“Let me go.” the Cynogryphon tugged at the chain, looking longingly at the sky.

“Ok.” Yusuke formed a picture in his mind of what he wanted the Cynogryphon to do. He wasn’t about to leave the creature in the control of the Ministry, they’d probably chop it up for potions or something. He knew that the powerful creature could make it back home, if it did what he wanted. “You do this. I’ll keep them from shooting you.”

“I go. Not home. Follow. Where?”

Yusuke nodded. “Okay. Go here. Long flight, long.”

“I go. Turn loose now.”

Yusuke waved his hand and the chain popped loose. It dropped to the ground and the Cynogryphon sprang into the air, flapping hard. Yusuke put up a smoke screen that prevented anyone from getting in a hex before the creature was a dwindling dot in the sky. He just hoped it made it to Japan ok. He’d send a note to his father to look for the animal in the mountains around home. It should like the area.

Yusuke sauntered over to collect his egg. The crowd went wild.

He was a bit startled to see Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, and three men he didn’t know, holding up cards. They had numbers on them. Flitwick had a 9, Hagrid a 10, and the other three had an 8, 9, 9. He realized that this was how they decided on the winner, who ever got the highest score from the judges won the task. He wondered who won. His score of 45 was just short of a possible 50. He wondered if anyone had gotten higher.

He returned to the starting line and was told to go to a different tent. When he arrived he saw Odette, then Ivan. Odette was sitting on a fainting couch, obviously freshly healed. Her robes were slit from the left shoulder to the right hip, and the open edges showed a rapidly fading red line. She looked disgruntled and tired.

Ivan was holding a cold pack to his head, frowning at Karkaroff, who looked angry. Ivan also had a huge gash in his coat. It was across the left side of his chest, but didn’t go deep enough to touch him. 

Neither one of them had an egg. 

Yusuke showed them the egg he’d gotten, then he told them the whole story of his task. Ivan grinned, Odette just sighed. “I did truly think that giving it food would work.”

Yusuke thought about that. “It is way too smart to fall for that sort of thing. I offered it safety. It will be in Japan soon. I’ll have to send to Father to keep him from breaking my word.”

Sirius entered just then and said, “Don’t worry. I did that already. I’m sure the beastie will be happy. And, Odette, it was a good idea to feed it. Ivan? Brute force? With something that big?”

Ivan had the good sense to flush heavily. “Headmaster Karkaroff advised it. I wanted to try distracting it with flashing lights and loud noises then sneaking the egg away.”

Yusuke smoked for a moment. “I don’t think that would have worked.”

Ivan nodded. “After due consideration of the Cynogryphon’s intelligence, I don’t think so either.”

Yusuke sighed, flopped down on another fainting couch and demanded, “What are your scores? 

Ivan looked disgusted and glared at Karkaroff before saying, “25. Not good.”

Odette looked annoyed when she said, “30. Better, maybe.”

Yusuke shook his head. “45. I might have gotten a 50 but I let the Cynogryphon go. It’s headed for Japan. There’s some nice places it might like around my home; I sent it there.”

The conversation halted as a group of big-wigs, hangers-on and reporters came in. Minister Fudge was pleased with his entourage, never realizing that he was lost in the crowd. The entourage proceeded to make a nuisance of themselves, asking impertinent questions and trying to take photos with their arms around the champions. Odette, especially, objected to this as one older man tried to grope her. Madam Maxime stymied this, spraining the man’s wrist in the process. 

She then announced, “It is enough! All this commotion is not good. We go.”

Sirius had already had the waka form a wall between Yusuke and the mob, calling in extra waka to do so. Ivan looked at the stern-faced men longingly but he was abandoned by Karkaroff, left to his own devices and stranded in the milling mass of bodies.

Severus Snape was not a nice man; he said so himself, frequently. But he was disgusted by Headmaster Karkaroff and his indifference to his star pupil. He decided to help the poor kid out. He might need a favor later, after all. “Excuse me. Headmaster Karkaroff has asked me to escort Gozpodin Dubrovsky back to his quarters.” Snape poked a reporter in the kidney with a sharp finger. The man moved and Snape saw that Ivan was looking more or less like a hunted man. “Come along then, boy.”

Ivan edged over to Snape and nearly clung to him. “Thank you, sir.” 

“Welcome.” Snape eyed the people between him and the tent flap then barked, “Well! Out of the way! Don’t just stand there like sheep!” 

The crowd parted grudgingly and Snape escorted the harassed young man up to Hogwarts, grumbling all the way. He left Ivan at the door to Durmstrang territory. “I swear, I don’t know what’s come over that man. Not that he’s that responsible in the first place. Man’s a total loser, but you’d think he’d take better care. Here. Go inside before the vultures descend. And tell someone to stay on the door and not allow strangers in.”

“I will. Thank you very much, Professor.” Ivan proved that he was a smart boy. “I will remember this favor. And tell my Father.”

Snape narrowly avoided saying, “Be sure that you do.” That remark wouldn’t do him any good, implying that Ivan wouldn’t keep his word. He bowed slightly and went away.

Ivan went in the door and did as Snape had suggested. He told the Durmstrang head boy to watch the door, per Professor Snape’s instructions. All Durmstrang was glad he’d done so as the Head Boy had to turn away dozens of celebrity seekers and nosy parkers.

.

Odette was just glad to be in Beauxbatons' dorm. She was tired and still ached from her injury. All she really wanted was a hot bath and some soothing oil for her still-healing scar. 

She was to get that and much more. The second she entered the common room, her friends grabbed her and dragged her away with much cooing and fussing. She got her bath, oil, and some potions. She also got a facial, mani-pedi, and massage. 

Madam Maxime took the time to file a complaint with the Ministry about all the hangers-on who had been allowed into the champions' tent. Her complaint named names and offenses. She never got a response, not that she expected to.

.

Dinner was annoying.

All the champions had to sit at the champions' table again. Odette was joined by her sister and best friend, Ivan by his father and older brother, and Yusuke by Sirius, Remus, and six waka. Hermione and Neville had politely refused to sit at the table; the reporters put them off.

Yusuke’s glower made most of the reporters avoid asking him questions. The few photographers who managed to get a full face photo were disappointed to find that it didn’t come out. None of the pictures of the other champions did either. Yusuke had asked both of them if they wanted to learn the charm. They had.

Sirius, Remus and the waka had all cast the spell as well.

Dumbledore, on hand for the night, stood and announced, “Before we eat, we will have the champions’ scores. Professor McGonagall, if you would.”

Headmistress McGonagall stood. “Yes, Professor Dumbledore. The scores are as follows. Ivan Dubrovsky, 25. Odette Renaud, 30. Miyamoto Yusuke, 45. The only person who has a hint to the next test is Miyamoto-san. We can only hope that ignorance will not handicap the other champions too much. I’m not going to blather on, I’m hungry. Anyone else who has anything to say, can say it after. Let’s eat.” She couldn’t help the challenging look she cast at the high table. She was well aware that Bagman, Crouch, and Fudge had speeches. She wasn’t about to make hungry children listen to nearly an hour of blather. “If anyone wants to give their speech, they can do so while we eat, or wait.” She sat down and began her own meal, well satisfied with herself.

Dumbledore frowned; he’d tried to stop her from serving by contacting the Head Elf. The creature didn’t answer and the food had been served. Fudge was glowering at him, as was Bagman. He shrugged, smiled a bit, twinkled and whispered, “We must let the ladies have their way. I’m sure the children might be more attentive if they’re not listening to their stomachs growl. Please, go on.”

Fudge stood up and began his speech. He noticed that some of the older students were actually listening and he was sure the younger ones were quieter. He concluded with, “And now, a few remarks from Mr Ludo Bagman. Ludo.”

Mr Bagman stood, pushing his chair back and clearing his throat importantly. He pulled several heavy cards out of a pocket and started to laboriously read them. No one paid any more attention to him than they had Fudge, something that he was well aware of. After telling a third joke that fell flat, he concluded his speech by throwing Barty Crouch Sr. to the wolves.

Barty, seeing the way his fellows had been treated, decided to forego his speech until after the meal. He smiled benignly on all the students and returned to his meal. Hermione whispered to Neville, “Thank goodness. We can sneak out just before afters and have something in peace in the juku. Ok?”

Neville eyed the head table. “Sounds good to me. Yusuke’s going to be pissed as hell.”

“Oh?”

“No way is he going to be able to sneak out. And Sirius is already glassy eyed. Remus is ... looks like he’s asleep with his eyes open.” Neville snickered. 

Hermione nodded. “Remus is asleep. He admitted that he perfected the ability in Binns’ class. Sirius might be asleep too. Yusuke ... what is he doing?” she peered at her friend then snickered as a small origami bird fluttered through the air and landed beside her plate. She unfolded it and read. “Well, he’s bored and restless. I wonder what he’s going to do about it.” Neville raised an eyebrow at her. “He just wrote, ‘Brace yourselves.’”

It didn’t take long for them to find out what Yusuke intended. When the deserts were served, he just got up and walked away from the table, followed by his waka, Remus and Sirius, in that order. Hermione was quick to rise and follow them with Neville and Seamus on her heels.

Dumbledore demanded that they return to their seats. Yusuke ignored him as did everyone in his personal gumi. Other students, attempting to emulate them, reseated themselves as their nerve failed.

The other two champions also stayed, not being quick enough to get out with Yusuke nor brave enough to disobey Dumbledore. 

Yusuke led the way to a small visitors' room on the second floor. Most students didn’t know that such rooms even existed. Dumbledore discouraged visits from parents, even though the Hogwarts charter allowed visits on a monthly basis.

They got settled; elves brought refreshments in the form of cakes, tarts and other sweets. Tea was poured and even the waka were seated.

Yusuke looked around then produced the egg. “Well, here it is. I’ve opened it. I wouldn’t advise opening it again. It screams. Very odd. It’s supposed to be the clue to the next task. I’m not impressed.”

The egg was passed from hand to hand, even the waka having a turn. They were impressed with Yusuke on a general level and now even more so. He addressed them directly, “You are all here because you have experience. Any suggestion is welcome, no matter how silly you might think it is.” He then settled back, handed cigarettes around and waited.

Neville, Sirius and Remus all took a cigarette. Hermione and the waka refused. The waka all produced pipes, while Hermione stuck to her tea. No one really noticed Seamus until he refused a cigarette.

Seamus glanced around then asked, “Should I leave?”

Yusuke shook his head, “No, in fact, as you’re Irish. Would you know a banshee’s shriek if you heard one?”

Seamus nodded. “I would. Me Mam made sure I knew all the dangers of Magical Ireland. Damn nasty surprise when they came up with that chamrosh, I can tell you. So, banshee?”

Yusuke told the waka who was holding the egg, “Open that, everyone else plug your ears, it’s loud.”

The waka waited for a second then opened the egg. The resultant noise made everyone cringe. The waka hastily shut the egg.

Seamus took his hands off his ears and said, “Definitely not a banshee. No idea.”

Yusuke looked around. “Anyone?” everyone shook their heads. “Well, shit. Hermione?”

She sighed, “I can start research. I just ... there’s no way to compare sounds. If I had a computer and some software, I could compare it to all recorded animals and see if I come up with something. But ... I’m not sure it would work. I don’t think there’s many electronic recordings of magical beasts.”

Sirius offered. “We could just ask Hagrid.”

A sudden knocking at the door caused them all to look up. Yusuke gestured to a waka who opened the door. Headmistress McGonagall stuck her head in and asked, “Everything alright in here? We heard screaming.”

Yusuke admitted, “We opened that damn egg. It just screams. Is Professor Hagrid around?”

McGonagall looked at him for a moment then rather smugly admitted, “He’s still in the Great Hall. He’s enamored of Madam Maxime and attempting to flirt with her.”

Neville snickered. “And how’s that going?”

McGonagall laughed, “Not that well. I’ll ask him to step in, shall I?”

“Please do.” Yusuke conjured a heavy, wooden chair.

It didn’t take long for Hagrid to show up. “Well, I ‘ear you need ‘elp. So ...” he accepted a huge mug of tea. “T’ank ya kindly.”

Yusuke motioned to the waka, who opened the egg again. Hagrid listened to the shrieking for a moment then shook his head. The waka closed the egg.

Hagrid sipped his tea, consuming half the mug in one go. “Well, it’s Mermish, but what anyone expects from that you’ll have to find out for yourselves.”

Hermione frowned. “But how do we translate it? It just sounds like screaming.”

Hagrid nodded wisely, then said, “‘At it do. So ... where would you expect to actually ‘ear Mermish? Not in air, I don’ think.” he finished his tea and stood up. “‘An ‘at’s all I’m prepared ta say. Not supposed to ‘ave said this much.” He smiled around, thanked them again for the tea and left.

Yusuke blinked at Sirius for a moment then said, “We need a big pool, or bath. I’m not about to leave you all out. So, where?”

Remus laughed, “The prefects' bath. It’s huge and very nice. I’ll get the password from ... someone.”

Yusuke snorted, “You think I don’t know every password in this place? Please!”

They all headed up to the prefects’ bathroom and Yusuke said the password out loud. They entered; Hermione, as the only female, went into the changing rooms, while the men all just dropped their things into the provided baskets. Yusuke, the waka, and Sirius were all wearing fundoshi instead of smalls. Seamus and Neville needed a bit of help, provided by a waka who transfigured their handkerchiefs into fundoshi. 

Hermione emerged from the ladies' changing room wearing a bikini. It wasn’t a small one, her father had actually picked it out for her. But it was a bit of a surprise to Seamus. “Bedad!” 

Hermione eyed him for a moment then said to a waka, “Kare o Hirate!” The resultant smack in the head made Seamus wince. 

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just ... wow!” Seamus then realized that he was standing around in just a bit of something that didn’t actually cover much of anything. “Oh, mu’ God.” And with that bit of brilliance he turned around and scurried into the bathing pool, mooning everyone in the process.

Hermione laughed herself silly. She actually had to be held up by Sirius. 

Yusuke eyed them all with patient amusement. “If you’re all done being so English, let’s get this on the road.”

They all waded into the pool, Yusuke bearing the egg.

It didn’t take long for them to get arranged on the seats around the edge of the pool. It was so much like a Japanese Ofuro that no one had difficulties. When they were comfortable, Yusuke stuck the egg under the water and opened it.

The song was short but not that sweet.

Come seek us where our voices sound;  
we cannot sing above the ground.  
And while you’re searching ponder this,  
we've taken what you'll sorely miss.

An hour long you'll have to look,  
to recover what we took.  
An hour's gone, the prospect's black.  
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.

Hermione voiced everyone’s thoughts. “Well, that’s not very reassuring. And not much help. What are we supposed to do, play Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?” 

One of the waka offered, “Perhaps they mean one of your daisho?”

Yusuke shook his head. “No, I treasure them but, as you well know, Father would beat me bloody if I risked my life for something like that. No, the Merpeople will be guarding something. Something ... irreplaceable.”

Neville sighed. “That means a person. But who?”

Sirius shook his head. “Well, this task is done before it’s begun, too. I’m not going to volunteer to be stuck ... damn it! Under the fucking Black Lake to be guarded by Merpeople ... who, by the way, have no love for wizards. Nor, I firmly believe, will either Ivan or Odette’s parents.”

Seamus voiced the question that all of them had. “An’ who the flamin’ hell thought up this shite, anyway?”

Neville looked at Sirius and then Remus, they all said, in chorus, “Dumbledore and Bagman.”

Yusuke grumbled, “Those baka are worthless as ... something completely worthless.”

Seamus snorted. “Tits on a boar come to mind.”

This cracked everyone up, especially as Yusuke translated it for those whose English wasn’t up to the task.

Since it was a bathing room, they decided to have a wash while they were there and Yusuke just handed a back brush to a waka with the order, “Suru!” The waka obediently began to scrub his back.

They traded around, scrubbing each other’s backs, telling bad jokes and, in general, enjoying themselves. Hermione even got a polite back scrub from Remus.

They hauled themselves out when the seventh year Hufflepuff prefect came in and asked them, politely, to leave so that the prefects could have a wash.

They climbed out, splashing water everywhere and dripped into the exit chamber to dry off and get dressed. House elves provided towels and clean clothing, yukata for everyone. Seamus didn’t say anything, after all yukata and robes were similar. He did need a bit of help from one of the waka to get everything crossed and tied properly.

Yusuke donned hakama over his yukata and added a daisho just for show. 

Remus and Sirius bid him good evening and went back to Ken No Ie. They both began composing letters to both Musashi-san and the ICW. Sirius also took it upon himself to write letters to the parents of the other champions, Madam Maxime, and Headmaster Karkaroff. He had his doubts about Karkaroff, but wrote anyway.

.

Miyamoto Musashi eyed the letter, handed it to Genji-san and began to laugh. Genji-san finished reading, handed it on and began to laugh too. Kuma read it out loud to everyone in the room. 

When the laughing was finished, Musashi-sama told his sons, “No one is to do this. No cooperation with that fool. Write a letter.” And with that he proceeded to get drunk and tell stories about Yusuke. All the men in the room enjoyed the stories very much. They also were well aware that Musashi didn’t exaggerate, at all.

.

Odette’s father, Charles, read the letter and demanded all his children return to the chateau at once. He also recalled most of his servants, his wife, and her parents. His also came.

He held a small dinner for the fifteen or so souls in attendance on him and read the letter that he’d received. He also announced to all and sundry, “No one is to agree to participate as the victim. No one. I do not trust Dumbledore to take proper precautions.” 

A small voice from the end of the table asked, “Who would be silly enough to agree to be sedated and stuck under a lake? Really? That’s ... stupid.”

Charles agreed. “Exactly. And, if Dumbledore is idiotic enough to take someone against their will ... the ICW will ring with complaints. I swear. And I do count ‘imperius’ as against their will. Also any potions. Do not make the mistake of looking him in the eye or eating any of those damn lemon candies of his.”

Everyone agreed to all his requests and they finished their meal in agreement that the task was too dangerous for the hostage to be agreed to.

.

Gozpodin Dubrovsky the elder called his family to him as well. He didn’t bother with a banquet, or anything of the sort. He just held audience in his family home. 

His announcement was about the same, with the addition that anyone who willingly cooperated with this foolishness would be ‘written out of the family book.’ Which was a very unpleasant thing to have happen. 

.

A few days passed while everything calmed down, a bit.

Rita Skeeter was out of the reporting business, permanently. She’d sustained such physical damage that she’d always have a limp. Her boss had agreed to keep her on at the Prophet, but not as a field reporter―she was now on the society desk. She was not a happy camper, but couldn’t see any way to return to her former job. She contented herself with printing all the gossip fit to print and a lot that wasn’t. Some of it was even true.

The editor had sent a memo that the Miyamoto family was to be left strictly alone. He forgot one thing. Wizards are singularly hide-bound. No one on the paper thought of Miyamoto Yusuke as anything other than Harry Potter. Him, they laid into with a will. The dirt flew with abandon and accusations of everything from cheating on tests to consorting with scarlet women showed up on both the editorial page and the society page.

Reply letters came from all over, both to the paper and to Hogwarts.

Yusuke dealt with all the uproar with a calm that worried Hermione and Neville and impressed everyone else. Letters that actually made it to Hogwarts were sorted with ruthless efficiency, right at the breakfast table.

The first batch, which came before Yusuke was ready for breakfast, convinced him to forego his usual breakfast in the juku. A helpful second-year was badly shocked by an exploding missive from someone who thought something blowing up in his face would teach Mr Potter to keep his bits in his pants. The fact that Yusuke had no idea what that meant sort of spoiled the effect. 

His return letter carried a hex that left the man with, “Hex me,” hovering over his head for days. Of course, most witches and wizards couldn’t resist this and the second part of the hex made it nearly impossible for him to block. 

News of the mess was carried to Yusuke by a house elf who asked politely if he’d please dine in the Great Hall so that elves didn’t have to deal with ‘all that messes of stupid, dangerous letters from fools who should being knowing better.’ He went down to see what was going on.

He was greeted by the two friends of the injured boy and the seventh-year prefects from Gryffindor. He eyed the mess of letters then waved a hand. The pile divided itself into three. 

“Well, so.” Yusuke banished one pile as it contained all the dangerous letters: some contained spells, hexes and curses; others contained potions or poisons. 

The other two piles were inoffensive in one, and offers in another.

The inoffensive ones he turned over to the house elves to open and read. The pile of offers he dealt with himself. He opened them, one by one, turned down the offers of daughters, and sons, in marriage, concubinage, or outright slavery, each in accordance with their politeness. The offers of business deals he bundled up and sent to Sirius. The offers of endorsement opportunities were answered with a form letter that said, “If you want me to endorse your shit, send me a sample. If it’s good, I’ll think about it. If it’s bad, I’m sending a man to break your knees.”

Hermione objected, “Yusuke, you can’t send a letter like that.”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s rude.” She thought about that and wasn’t that startled by his answer.

“So is asking me to pimp their crap.”

“True. Sorry. Do you want me to help you answer this mess?” Hermione eyed the whole thing with disfavor.

“No. I got it. I’m actually just going to duplicate this as many times as I need. They’ll be getting their answers back ... on rice paper, in kanji. Let them figure out how to read it. Just like I had to.” Yusuke waved a hand over the pile and it shuffled itself into a pile of replies. He picked it up and handed it to a waka. “Mail all this shit. And make sure it gets out, not into Dumbledore’s box. Oh. And this.” Yusuke pulled something out of his sleeve and handed that over too.

He’d sent a variety of W3 products through his mail box. He was disappointed that none of them seemed to have stuck. He was unaware of the frequent visits Dumbledore paid to an ICW curse breaker. Fred and George were similarly disappointed but did know that Dumbledore was having to pay to have the pranks removed. Their brother was assigned to the ICW for six months, breaking curses for various members. He offered advice as to how to make the pranks on Dumbledore stick better.

After the mail was sorted and dealt with, Yusuke put a charm on his mail address that diverted any and all mail from people he did not know to Dumbledore’s intrusive mail box. Let him deal with all that mess.

Hermione approved saying, quite sensibly, “If he’s so damn determined to keep you from being annoyed, let him. Anything you really need to see is brought by waka, right?” Yusuke nodded. “Well, there you are.” She returned to her bacon with a satisfied nod.


	36. Chapter 36

893.36

 

Albus Dumbledore was annoyed. He’d tried several times to keep Harry from being distracted by unnecessary correspondence. His mail diversion box was nearly always empty and the young man kept getting his mail. He knew it was being hand-delivered and was going to ask Cornelius to do something about it. He eyed the mailbox with disgust; most of the few things he did get were pranks, so he was being more careful about opening things. But now the box was nearly vibrating in place. He sighed and opened it with a tap of his wand. The resultant flood of mail nearly filled his office. Howlers smoked and jumped into the air. The resultant cacophony nearly deafened him. He called for a secretary but she, wisely, told him that it wasn’t her job to answer fan mail. He eyed the piles and piles of mail and snarled. He could get away with redirecting Harry Potter’s mail only if he actually dealt with it. He’d just vanished the first few posts but evidently some of it had actually been from the Ministry of Magic. He’d been told he had to deal with it all, not just store or banish it. This was going to be hell.

He was right.

.

Yusuke settled in to deal with the weeks between the first and second tasks. Dumbledore had wanted the tasks to be spread out over the whole of two terms with a ball at Christmas. Headmistress McGonagall had thought it was the most idiotic thing she’d ever heard of. Guess who won. 

So, now, the first task had been accomplished just after New Years, the next one would be held in March. They were looking at the second weekend. Then the last task would be held the weekend before school let out for summer. This made much more sense. It gave everyone time to recover from the last task and study for the next, if they figured out what it was to be in time. 

It most assuredly was not going to be hostages at the bottom of the lake. He’d laughed his ass off when his messenger had brought him a copy of the letter the ICW had sent to the head of the department of games and sports, Minister Fudge and the board of Governors of Hogwarts. He was told by Sirius that Fudge had read it to the Wizengamot and had his motion to send a protest to the ICW voted down by a nearly 100 percent vote.

More and more the Wizengamot was not voting for Fudge’s motions. There was a lot of grumbling about the amount of gold he was spending on bounties on Death Eaters. Everyone agreed that removing the menace was a good thing―except for the ones who were Death Eaters themselves―but the majority of members didn’t see the amount of the bounties as being reasonable. It really infuriated them all that the contract was with the Ministry itself, not Fudge. It didn’t make any difference who voted how, they still had to pay, or lose their magic. Many were relieved that there hadn’t been a pay-out since before Christmas.

They were soon to be a bit upset.

.

Yusuke eyed the report. His men had found a nest of mid-level Death Eaters. They were well trained and upper mid-level. He wanted high level Death Eaters but he’d settle for what he could get. All the upper-level people were in hiding. Sirius was of the opinion that they were all holed up with Voldemort somewhere. He’d tried tracking the LeStrange brothers and found nothing. They’d found the traces and disappeared. He’d also tried tracking the Carrows, but the same thing had happened with them.

The few low-level Death Eaters they’d managed to get hold of, didn’t know anything. Voldemort had taken a page from the French Resistance of WWII. No one in the lower levels knew more than five of their fellows and one mid-level controller. They’d gotten hold of one of them and persuaded him to tell them a bit. He only knew his immediate superior and had never seen his, or her, face. They’d used a charm to distort their voice. The bounties on the few that they’d caught had barely paid the expense of catching them. Sirius was not pleased.

This find was worthwhile only if they took prisoners. Yusuke was looking forward to some action. Maybe they’d get lucky and get someone higher up. He hoped so. Musashi-sama was getting impatient. He’d thought this would be wound up much sooner and he was missing his son, and the shikkō-sha. 

Sirius did the final reconnoiter himself. He wanted to be sure that Yusuke had every scrap of info he could get. Remus kept notes as he watched the back door of the nest.

They got back to Ken No Ie and settled in the upstairs lounge to go over everything. Remus presented his notes while Sirius wrote down a list of names. When they’d finished, Sirius examined the list of names and announced, “Well, the only one I’ve heard of is Yaxley. He’s an upper level man. Probably this nest is a way point, a place that Yaxley meets with his underlings and gives orders for his section. This might yield a good catch.”

Yusuke eyed Sirius for a moment. “They’re not fish.”

Sirius rubbed his face then returned. “I’m well aware of that. But I was in my last year of Auror training. I specialized in counter raids and surveillance, along with the general classes. This is sort of what I trained for. So ... you and I will go in. Remus and three waka on the back door.” Remus started to object. “I want you on the back as that’s probably the bolt. And ... four waka on the front door. They’ll do the knock and we’ll fold into the main room and do our thing. Remus and the waka at the back will hold hard and do cleanup. Ok?”

Yusuke nodded. “Good. Just ... don’t get in the way of my sword. I don’t intend to take prisoners. We don’t need any.”

Sirius disagreed. “I’d like to question Yaxley. He’s bound to know more than anyone we’ve gotten our hands on so far.”

Yusuke thought about that, glanced at Remus who nodded then allowed, “As long as he surrenders, we’ll take him. If he fights, he’s done.”

Sirius agreed with that and they finished their plans, picked their men and got organized. The first thing Yusuke did was make sure that everyone on the teams had a hachimaki, a headband, with the family chop on it.

The raid was to begin just at sundown, that gray time of day when the sun was just at the horizon. This would put the last of the light right in the front windows of the building, blinding everyone in the room. The distraction would have everyone looking that way and, when they turned around, their eyes would have to adjust to the dim light they were now facing.

Just at dusk, the diversion was begun. This consisted of loud bangs and yelling, in Japanese, but no one really noticed this. The whole meeting rushed to use their portkeys or apparate away. The wards that Remus and Sirius had put up kept this from happening, so they all tried to run out the back door, thus jamming the door between the lounge and the kitchen with writhing, swearing men. 

Remus and his group lucked out and grabbed three men, one of them Yaxley. They stunned them and tied them up the old-fashioned way, with real rope. Yusuke had insisted on that, declaring that he wasn’t about to risk someone knowing a wandless spell to break magical bonds. 

Yusuke stepped into the room, folding in from outside with Sirius at his side. A few of the men at the rear of the group turned around and attacked them. Sirius began by stunning every man he could, Yusuke just stood back to see the result of Sirius’ efforts. 

It turned out that Yusuke’s fears were realized. Sirius had stuck to his guns, figuratively speaking, and insisted on attempting to capture instead of kill. Yusuke had disagreed but, after a quick consultation with a more practical Remus decided to let Sirius have his way. After all, experience is the best teacher, as long as you survive the lesson. Yusuke just didn’t want his godfather to win a Darwin Award.

So, while Yusuke guarded his back, Sirius learned the lesson that so many before him had refused to learn. His stunned Death Eaters were revived by their fellows and returned to the fray. Yusuke took them out again, with his sword.

Sirius, realizing that what he’d been taught wasn’t working, went with his next best plan. He went with bludgeoning hexes instead. This worked much better, as the physical damage kept the re-enerviate spell from working. 

While Sirius was dealing with the crowd in the door, the waka from the front were now entering the building. Yusuke sent them upstairs to clear that floor, just in case. They didn’t find anyone but they did find some notebooks and papers. One of the waka gathered them all up and tucked them into a pocket for Sirius and Remus to look at later. They also found a few odds and ends of things; potions, gold, clothing and other such things. These were also gathered up as booty. Yusuke usually went over such things then divided them amongst the men in the raid.

The men came down to find that the fighting was all over. Sirius had given up on trying to take the Death Eaters into custody when Remus had come in and yelled, “We’ve got three, stop fucking around. All we need are their Marks. Hurry up!” Sirius had ducked a hex from someone who’d come to on him. He gave up the last of his ideals and dealt with the situation. He was glad to see that his sword lessons were taking.

Yusuke, for his part, just killed anything that wasn’t Sirius, Remus, or a waka. That was the reason that all the men were wearing hachimaki, it kept everyone from committing a friendly-fire incident. He didn’t want his men accidentally killing each other in the excitement.

After the noise died away, Yusuke issued orders that every body was to be searched, the arm cut off, and anything in their pockets inspected carefully. He wanted a portkey in the worst way. If he could get one and follow its coordinates, he could find Voldemort, maybe.

Little did he know that Voldemort was planning to bring Yusuke to him. Yusuke would have been puzzled if he’d known about the odd, convoluted, and downright idiotic plan to get to him. As it was, he didn’t, so he was trying to find his main target by tracking a portkey to him.

After sorting through everything and packing most of it away, they went back to Ken No Ie with their three prisoners and a pile of knick-knacks. The waka went to their quarters with their booty to celebrate a successful raid.

Yusuke did the dirty work of getting the proof for their claim. He wasn’t best pleased with his catch, but anything was better than nothing, and this raid was on a safe house, so that was something new. The Death Eaters were beginning to hide better, which was not good, but it was proof that they were on the run and that was good.

They traced the portkeys with ease, but when Remus folded to a place about a quarter mile away and walked up, it was an empty barn, obviously a waypoint. He checked for any spell residue that might tell him where they went from here but wasn’t successful. He returned to Ken No Ie.

“Sorry, no go. Someone cleaned up rather carefully. It was just an empty barn, not even any discarded junk to check out.” 

Remus started to sit down but Yusuke stopped him. At his motion several waka moved in to strip Remus down to his smalls and wipe him down with damp cloths, removing sweat and dirt. They then helped him into a clean yukata set.

He settled on a zabuton cross-legged and accepted a cup of tea. “So. Have you questioned Yaxley yet?”

Sirius shook his head. “No. He’s in a cell in the basement, softening up. I thought we’d leave him for a bit, then go down and put some pressure on him. I’ve got some of the older waka questioning the other two.” He grinned, “At least one of them speaks good English. The rest? Not so much.”

Remus snorted into his tea cup. “You’re a hoot, Sirius.”

Yusuke nodded. “Just softening them up. When I go down, they’ll talk. Most of what the waka is doing is slapping them around a bit, then telling stories of what I’ll do.”

Remus shrugged. “You really ought to leave the knee-breaking to the experts.”

Yusuke thought about that for a moment. “I’m really not good at that. I tend to lose my temper and just kill them. No information to be had out of a corpse.”

“Exactly.” Sirius agreed. “You leave the interrogation to us. If we need you, just give them that shinigami look and get a mop.” He laughed softly at Yusuke’s insulted expression.

“And why would we need a mop? I don’t make a habit of cutting prisoners into fish bait.”

“That’s good. But the shinigami look could make just about anyone piss their rompers.” Sirius smirked at Yusuke.

Remus chuckled then added, “And, if that doesn’t work, I’ll growl at them.” They laughed at that and continued to drink tea, eat snacks and analyze the mission.

Finally, a man came up and told them that the two men were beginning to break down. Yusuke stood up and ambled out the door, thanking the man and giving him an envelope. He usually gave men who went a bit over and above a bit of extra money.

They went down into the basement and realized that the waka, or some gaki, had turned the end room in the basement into a cell. The room was the last one before the door that led to the roots of the Whomping willow.

Yaxley was incarcerated there while the two zako, or small fish, were tied to chairs in the main room. 

They were showing signs of hard use, one had a black eye while the other had a split lip. They both looked unhappy. 

Yusuke eyed one man then the other. “Ok, who’s going to tell me what I want to know?”

“Fuck you, you little girl. Who’s scared of you?”

Yusuke just shrugged. “Everyone with sense. I want names; who do you know?”

This didn’t get anything but more swearing and name calling. Yusuke asked the same questions of the other man and got much the same result from him.

And so it started. Yusuke would ask a question, the Death Eater would refuse to answer and Sirius would write what he said down. Everything the Death Eaters said would be analyzed later for anything they might let slip. After a few questions with non-answers, Yusuke cracked his knuckles. This was when Sirius and Remus learned that Yusuke wasn’t the sort of man who’d make someone else do something he wouldn’t do himself. He spent a few minutes smacking both Death Eaters around. He actually let the larger of the two up and invited him to fight.

This didn’t result in what the Death Eater hoped, it just got him pounded. He started swinging the second he was loose. He’d been told, by a waka that, if he could beat Yusuke, he’d go free. It was a lie, but what do you expect from a yakuza? Unfortunately for him, he was only dumb muscle and totally untrained. He was used to having the advantage of magical help, in the form of someone else hexing his opponent. This put him up against someone who had been trained by the best and was not only a true martial artist but capable of casting wandless, wordless hexes of extreme power. They were also some of the nastiest around.

So, Yusuke spent a bit of time, letting the man wear himself out, swinging wildly and swearing. Then he buried his fist up to his wrist in the man’s belly. The Death Eater yelled out all his air then fell down to lie gasping on the floor. He was dragged to his feet by a couple of waka.

Yusuke eyed him for a moment then said, “I ask, you answer. Or someone will hurt you.”

Remus eyed the man, let gold drift into the brown of his iris, and said, “You’d better answer or I will seriously fuck you up.” The man paled, then gulped. “I think we have an understanding.”

The Death Eater looked from Sirius to Remus to Yusuke then smirked. “He’s a werewolf.”

Yusuke returned a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes, he is.” he turned to Sirius. “When is moon rise?”

Sirius shrugged. “Not sure. Does it really make any difference?”

Yusuke thought for a second while Remus sniffed at the man. “No, not really. We might luck out and get another were out of this. Or Remusu-aniki will just eat him.”

Remus snorted, hard, through his nose. “No, I won’t. He stinks. I think he’s shit himself.”

This led to another round of questions and, this time, answers. The other Death Eater was much more cooperative, he answered right away. Evidently seeing his compatriot, who was twice his size, scared, literally, shitless scared him too.

It didn’t make much difference in the long run. They didn’t know much, all they could say was that orders came to them through Mr. Dukes, who was dead. They knew that Yaxley came, spoke with Dukes and then they did things. Mostly robbing people, mugging them in alleys and announcing that, ‘The Dark Lord thanks you for your donation,’ or beating up shopkeepers who refused to donate. This last was now a problem as some group that called themselves the Merchant’s Association was hiring muscle to deal with that. 

Yusuke eyed them both then said, “Ok, that’s all they can tell. Yaxley is next.”

The Death Eaters both sneered, through split lips. One said, “Yaxley won’t talk.”

Yusuke just grabbed the speaker, who turned out to be the smaller of the two and twisted his arm. This drove the man to his knees. Yusuke stepped over his arm and applied a bit of leverage. The man screamed like a girl. Yusuke let off, then reapplied the pressure. Another scream was his reward. He did this several more times, eliciting screams, sobbing and pleas for mercy.

Remus eyed the sobbing man then turned to Sirius. “I think he’s a real girl but ...”

“Better to soften Yaxley up this way than to do a few other things.” 

Just then the smell of burning meat drifted by as the man screamed again. 

Sirius raised his eyebrow at Remus who couldn’t help a real laugh. One that changed in odd ways as it echoed around the basement.

A few more screams were elicited by more arm twisting then Yusuke shoved the man to the floor and ambled over to Remus and Sirius. “Ok, that should do the trick. Let’s bring him out and see what he has to say for himself.”

It took two big waka to drag Yaxley out of the cell and get him to the main room. Remus glowered at him while Sirius just smoked. Yusuke waited until the waka had Yaxley tied to a chair, then he started asking questions.

Yaxley tried to play tough but between the remembered screams, the smell of burning meat, pork roast in this case, and the fact that both his compatriots had disappeared, he didn’t hold out all that long. especially after he saw one of the waka heating a branding iron on a charcoal brazier in one corner.

Yaxley sneered, “You won’t do anything to me. I’m not sure what you did to those men, but it won’t work on me.”

Yusuke just shrugged. “Why do you think we won’t?”

“You Order of the Phoenix idiots don’t have the balls for torture. Dumbledore’s an old woman.”

Yusuke nodded. “He is. But ... you see ... I’m not in that order. I’m not in any order. My Father would never permit it.” he bowed slightly. “Miyamoto Yusuke ... yakuza kumicho. I want to know where Voldemort is. The bounty on him is high and I intend to collect it.”

Yaxley turned pale. “Yakuza? What the hell are yakuza doing in England?”

Yusuke glanced at Sirius. Sirius took over, for the time being. “Well, that’s an interesting story. Yusuke-san’s got an inheritance but the Ministry won’t turn it over to him unless he gaks Voldie. And it’s a fuck ton of money. So... and we...” he gestured to Remus. “like him so we’re helping. You’d better talk, or else.”

Yaxley eyed Sirius for a moment then exclaimed, “Sirius Black! I thought I recognized you.”

Sirius nodded. “Yes. Sirius Black.” He grinned in Yaxley’s face. “Do remember the Black family reputation.”

Remus nodded. “Sirius, you’re not to kill him until we’re done. Dead men can’t talk.”

Yusuke, irritated by all this dancing around, demanded, “Ask questions and get answers. I’m running out of patience.”

Sirius just cast a spell. It wasn’t Cruciatus, but it was painful enough.

When he was done Yaxley coughed a couple of times then snorted. “Won’t make me tell. My Lord does much worse just for being late to a meeting.”

Yusuke shrugged. “Ok. Bet he doesn’t cut things off.” And with that, he pulled a tanto out of thin air and proceeded to order a waka to hold Yaxley’s hand down on the arm of the chair. 

It took a moment for the waka to pry Yaxley’s little finger out of the fist he’d instinctively made, but they managed and one waka held it in place while the other held the rest of his hand. One quick swipe and the digit was severed. Yusuke held it up for Yaxley to see then tossed it in the brazier.

Yaxley screamed, then sagged against the ropes. He looked at his hand as if he couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. Yusuke snarled in a hard voice. “If you don’t tell me what I want to know, I’ll hex that so you can’t regrow it. I know how to do it.” He made a motion to one of the waka who just held up his left hand. It was missing the first joint of the little finger.

Remus just gave Yaxley a feral smile. “Or I could just bite you.”

Yaxley shook. “You’re ... you...”

Remus raised an eyebrow. “I’m ...” he prompted. His voice was soft and gentle. This was belied by the expression in his eyes.

“You’re Lupin. You’re ... a werewolf.” Yaxley cringed back, just a bit, but it was obvious to anyone who knew what to look for that he was terrified.

“I am. And, believe me when I say, if you don’t stop being an ass and tell us what we want, I’ll bite you. Now. Start talking.” Remus picked up a piece of paper and started reading off the questions.

Yaxley fell all over himself to answer every one of them. 

Yusuke finally nodded. “I think we’ve squeezed him dry.” He looked at Sirius. “I’m not inclined to let him go. What do you suggest?”

Sirius shook his head. “I’m going to suggest turning him in. Just because it’s the responsible thing to say. But ...”

Remus butted in. “Someone will pay someone and he’ll be out on the streets before the ink is dry on the charges parchment.”

Yusuke produced cigarettes for all three of them then offered more to the waka. “I was afraid of that. So ... I’ll just...” he turned, cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth. But before he could say anything else, the oldest of the waka just stabbed Yaxley in the heart. “Ok... that’ll do.”

The waka dropped to his knees and said, “Yusuke-kumicho. I am sorry. Please forgive. But ... it is beneath you to touch such a one. If I have displeased you, I offer yubitsume.” 

Yusuke snorted smoke out his nose. “And what about the other two?”

The waka shrugged. “Someone else took care of them. Their marks are sent already. The bodies taken care of.”

Yusuke eyed the man for a moment then snapped, “Idiot! Get up.” the man scrambled to his feet. Yusuke pulled a small bag of gold out of mallet space and tossed it to him. “Clean up that mess.” The waka, relieved that he’d done the proper thing, hurried to take Yaxley away. His whole body would be sent to the Ministry as he was an upper-level and worth more than a common Death Eater.

.

Minister Fudge was not happy. The bounty purse for the last ―whatever they called it―was huge. Harry Potter had sent a dozen Marks, pickled in vinegar, and the naked body of someone named Yaxley, no first name, who was a midlevel Death Eater. This was costing the Ministry more than half their quarterly budget, so far. 

He’d also gotten a real earful from several representatives about one, forcing a child to fight the Ministry’s fight for it, and two, attempting to steal from said child. 

Public opinion was turning away from the Ministry and toward yakuza. He wasn’t sure exactly why, only that something called a merchants protection something was endorsing Potter over him. It didn’t make sense; Aurors afforded all the protection anyone needed.

He sighed, sent a script to Gringotts to deposit the new bounty in the appropriate account. He’d given up sending gold via owl and made arrangements with that damn Sirius Black to deal with things this way. 

.

Hermione was a bit worried. Yusuke had come back from Ken No Ie in an odd mood. He’d sat with the reading group to listen to the last chapter of their book. But he’d gone up to the dorm the second they were done.

After all the excitement of the first task, the reading circle had been a real help to most of the younger years. Yusuke usually stayed around for the discussions after the chapter, tonight, he hadn’t.

She finished the discussion by saying, “It’s time for everyone to finish their homework and get ready for bed.” She ignored the moaning and groaning and followed Yusuke up, calling, “I’m coming up.”

Yusuke answered, “Made okoshi, kudasai.” 

Hermione poked her head into the room, “Yusuke? You ok?”

Yusuke smiled at her. “Yeah, I’m ok. Just a nasty bit of work done and I’m in a mood. Don’t worry.”

Hermione eyed him for a moment. “Well, I do. It’s not fit for you to have to mess with adult shite.”

“I’ve been doing it for years.” Yusuke dismissed the problem with a wave of his hand.

“Still not right. But ... done is done. What can I do?” Hermione flopped onto Ron’s bed, made a face and moved to Neville’s. “Ick. Boy stinks.”

Yusuke nodded. “That he does, but I’m not about to try to teach that pig personal hygiene. He’s got a mother for that.” he plucked a cigarette out of thin air and started to smoke. “As to what you can do? Just keep doing what you’re doing. And do not allow yourself to be talked, or coerced into being my hostage for this idiotic task. We’ll force Dumbledore to pick something else.”

“But what?” Hermione pulled a parchment from her ever present bag. “And thank you yet again for this bag.” she started to write. “I’m going to write a refusal to participate in the task, send it to my Dad to sign, and then send a notarized copy to the Ministry, and give one to Headmistress McGonagall. Don’t trust them to listen to a verbal from me.”

Yusuke snickered. “I’ll ask that you send a copy to Shiriusu-oji as well.” 

Hermione finished with a flourish. “Ok. You want to duplicate this or should I re-copy it?”

He considered that for a moment then said, “Re-copy, I should think. That way we can prove that you didn’t fiddle with your father’s wishes. He’ll have to sign every copy individually.”

Hermione settled in to copy out her draft the required number of times.

Yusuke smoked and thought while she did that. When she was finished, he handed the letters to the nearest waka and said, “Please. Take these to her father, wait, then take them where addressed. Thank you.” he bowed and folded away to do as he was told.

Hermione, who now understood Japanese quite well, asked, “You always say please and thank you. Why?”

“It’s just a few words, but they make so much of a difference. My men serve me well because I reward them properly and treat them well. It doesn’t take much.” he shrugged. “Makes sense. Now, I’ve got some reports to read. You need anything else?”

Hermione thought for a moment. “Well, what are we going to manipulate Bagman into suggesting instead of that lake insanity?”

“No idea. Come up with some suggestions.” Yusuke returned to his report while Hermione started making a list.

Neville wandered in and commented, “My bed, Granger.” hermione scooted over to let him settle against the head board. “What you working on, then?”

“List of substitutes for the second task, since no one will be hostage. They’re going to have to find something else.” Hermione frowned at her list. “I don’t think I’ve got the proper mind set.”

Neville took the list, glanced at it and started snickering. “Oh, I don’t know ... chess seems really exciting.”

“Ass.” Hermione took her list back.

Neville produced a cigarette from his mallet space and started to smoke.

Hermione glowered. “And when did you learn that trick?”

“Yesterday. Yusuke has had me working on it every evening for ... well, ever. Finally got it. Want?” He offered his cigarette.

“No, I thank you. And you...” she gave Yusuke an evil eye. “Why haven’t you taught me?”

“You’re never around when I’m in the mood. I’ll give it a go as soon as I’m done with this report.” Yusuke turned back to his report.

Neville poked Hermione. “He’s telling the truth. Every time he’s been in the mood, you’ve been somewhere else. I’ll try, if you like.”

Hermione decided to let Neville try. He explained and demonstrated the charms, just as Yusuke had for him. Luckily, Hermione was much better at extrapolation than Neville was. The biggest problem with creating a mallet space that stored hot or cold things was that, everyone’s magic was a bit different so the spells had to be adjusted to attach the maintenance spell to their magical core. Hermione managed it quite quickly. 

Yusuke kept one ear on both of them. He’d actually intended to do this much sooner but things kept getting in the way. He was glad that Neville managed to teach Hermione, both for the boost he got and for the pleasure Hermione would get out of having hot or cold things handy without carrying a food bag. Although he had to admit, it did make a good weapon. He smiled at the memory of her hitting some Slytherin with it for some reason.

At Hermione’s crow of triumph, he asked, “Did you get it?”

Hermione left off attempting to strangle Neville, “I did! I did! Sugoi! Yatta!”

Yusuke smiled. “Well, good. Great job, Neville. Now. Go to bed.”

Hermione suck her tongue out at him but obediently gathered up her things. A quick look at the clock relayed the information that it was very late. “Hell, look at the time. No wonder I’m tired.”

She hurried out, stuffing things in her mallet space as she went.

Neville,who’d received a lecture from Yusuke about exactly that, smirked and said, “Let her learn the hard way, only way she’ll remember.”

Yusuke snorted at that. “Why would she?” at Neville’s puzzled look, he added. “I never do. You’ve seen the mess. I need to empty it all out again. I’m sure it’s full of trash again.”

“Why do you just stuff things in there? Why don’t you banish your mess?” Neville was puzzled by that.

“I don’t know. I usually forget, I guess.” Yusuke laughed and started pulling mess out of his mallet space. “I’ll clean it out now, while I’m thinking of it.”

Neville just sighed. “And when the others come up? Which they’re going to do any minute.”

“Won’t take that long and they can wait. They’ve all been in the common room, playing chess and trying to finish an essay. More chess than essay, if I don’t miss my guess.”

Neville agreed that Yusuke was probably right.

He was, but Ron, Dean and Seamus were all willing to wait and watch while Yusuke finished cleaning up his mess. Again. 

But something interesting came out of the whole thing. Yusuke told them all that the projected task wasn’t going to happen. He explained what it was and the other boys were properly shocked at the idea. 

Ron grumbled a bit but finally remarked, “Well, it is Dumbledore.”

Yusuke snorted then said, “He’s getting old. He’s overworked and his attention is scattered between too many jobs. I don’t think he’s paid proper attention to anything in years. I don’t trust his judgement any more than I’d trust a two-year-old. He’s too distracted.”

Ron started to say something then just shrugged. “Don’t really care. I’m for bed.”

He started to tug off his robes and was startled, and a bit offended, when Yusuke told him, “Shower first. You stink.” 

He glowered around at his friends for some support but no one would meet his eyes. He snatched up his pajamas and stormed into the showers, snarling, “Well, ok, then.” he returned too quickly, but his hair was wet so no one said much. He yanked the curtains closed, put up a silencing charm and went to sleep.

Yusuke eyed the closed curtains for a moment then returned to their discussion of what the second task should be.

Seamus’ suggestion of skip rope was dismissed with all the contempt it deserved, and a face full of thrown pillows. The laughter that accompanied the pillows made him laugh too.

Dean’s suggestion of a foot race was also dismissed. But it made Neville say, “Well, a broom race, then.”

Yusuke looked up from his notes. “Now that’s not that bad an idea. A race, up in the air, where everyone can see it. Obstacle course?”

Seamus joined in with, “Not just an obstacle course, something ... a combination. Obstacles plus oval track.”

Dean sighed. “Like those races you crazy Irish do?”

“Yeah. Like that.” Seamus threw a pillow at Dean, missed and swore. “Blast.”

Dean stuffed the offending pillow behind his head and allowed, “Might be fun.”

Yusuke just wrote a note to Sirius and gave it to the waka. “Deliver that now. Tell Shiriusu-oji I’d like an answer by morning.”

“As you wish.” The waka folded out.

Neville nodded to his three men. “You can go to bed anytime you like. I won’t be needing you tonight.”

The three men bowed and wandered off to bed. 

Yusuke went back to his report. He was actually bored. He’d killed off most of the Death Eaters he could find and the rest had gone to ground. He didn’t know how many of the Inner Circle were still in England, he’d heard that some of them had run to the continent, following Lucius Malfoy. He wondered if he should squeeze Draco for some answers. 

He decided to ask Snape-san instead.

It was much easier to get around Hogwarts now that he was a champion. He was immune to most of the rules of the school, not that he had cared much before, but it was nice not to spend several minutes arguing with a prefect.

So he headed for Snape’s quarters only to run into Moody.

“Well, what have we here?” Moody stepped out of an archway.

“Going down to see Snape.” Yusuke handed Moody a cigarette.

“Thanks. What for?” Moody fell into step beside Yusuke.

“Need to know how many of the Inner Circle Baka are still around. Watashinochichi said to finish as many as possible before facing Voldiwhatsit. He wants this whole operation finished before the end of the school year. I’m falling behind in my obligations to my ... businesses.”

Moody grunted then offered, “I’ll talk to my sources.”

“Thank you. I’m still going to talk to Snape. I have another thing I need to ask him about.” Yusuke continued on his way while Moody took another corridor back to his quarters. He needed to write a few letters.

When he reached Snape’s office door, Yusuke tapped gently, he didn’t want to disturb the potions master if he was brewing.

Snape answered his door with a scowl on his face. “Yes? Oh. It’s you. Come in.” He removed the scowl in favor of an inoffensive, bland expression and stepped to one side.

Yusuke nodded. “Thank you.” he settled in the indicated easy chair and accepted the offer of English style tea. He took a sip then floored Snape by asking, “Do you have Hogwarts copy of Potions Interactions Explained?”

Snape choked on his tea. “Excuse me?” he put his cup down. “Dumbledore gave that to me, the second year I was a professor.”

“I see.” Yusuke sipped his tea. “You do know that the proposed new edition never materialized. Most copies of that book are ... coveted.”

“Yes, I do. I have one of two copies left in Britain. The rest were discarded as out-dated when the new edition was announced.” Snape watched Yusuke from the corner of his eye.

Yusuke smirked. “I have managed to acquire the publishing rights for a ... good price.”

Snape smirked right back. “In other words ... a pittance.”

“Exactly. Only I have an idea. An edition ... an annotated edition. I cannot call it a new edition as there is actually no new information to be published, but an edition annotated by a famous, well known Potions Master. Now that would sell extremely well.” Yusuke eyed Snape over his cup.

“And what would persuade such a man to annotate this edition?”

“A cut of the profits. Perhaps 10 per cent of the net.”

Snape sipped his tea then said, “Twenty per cent of the gross.”

Yusuke made a rude noise. “Ten percent of the net.”

Snape snorted then offered, “Fifteen percent.”

“Of the net.” Yusuke’s expression told Snape that this was the firm, final offer.

“Done. Don’t send Black with the papers.” Snape frowned into his cup.

“I’ll send a waka. Just read, sign, stamp it and send it back.”

“Stamp it?” Snape looked confused.

“Ah! I forget. You do not have hanko here. Never mind. Just sign it.” Yusuke returned to his tea.

Snape did the same and they sat, drinking tea for a few minutes.

Finally Yusuke put his cup down and eyed Snape for a moment. “How many of the inner circle are left?”

Snape didn’t pretend he didn’t know what Yusuke was asking. “I don’t know. Since I’ve refused His call, I have no resources. If you have a list of names of those you’ve already gotten, I might be able to fill in some blanks, but you do realize that he’s promoting people to fill the slots.”

“I do, but they won’t be well trained. I am going to end this idiot.” Yusuke fished in his mallet space for a moment. He found the small book he’d been keeping notes in. He started to offer it to Snape then pulled it back. “Shimatta.”

“I read kanji and kana.” Snape looked pleased with himself.

“Very good. Here. If you have trouble, I’ll translate.” Yusuke handed the book over and settled back, helping himself to more tea.

Snape read for a moment then announced, “I think you’ve gotten about half the inner circle and more than half the next level down. Tom is going to have a great deal of trouble keeping people at this rate.”

Yusuke smirked. “He’s already got real trouble getting knee breakers and other dumb muscle. Seems that they’ve either been hired out from under him or scared off.”

Snape smirked back. “I can’t imagine why. So ... I’ll write you a list of the rest of the inner circle ... those that I know. And watch Karkaroff ... something’s off with him. I’m not sure exactly what as I haven’t had dealings with him in years.”

“Ok. I’ll do that.” Yusuke offered Snape a cigarette, was refused and began to smoke it himself.

Snape waved his wand, dismissing the smoke. “I’ll thank you to take that out of my office.”

Yusuke shrugged. “When can I expect that list?”

“Tomorrow sometime.” Snape scowled at the cigarette, rather pointedly.

Yusuke ambled to the door, smiled and left.

.

"Nani gan kureten da yo?!" - what the hell are you looking at  
Obandesu - good evening  
ICW GEL - International Confederation of Wizards General Education Level.   
Chikusho! - shit  
Watashinochichi - my father  
kakushi kazoku - hidden family  
Watashi yorokobanakerete - I am not pleased.  
Ojosama - princess. Per J-list so I hope they know how to spell.  
Yakuzade wanai - not yakuza  
O-Shiai - the Game   
zako - small fish/fry, low level criminals

Libraries charging by the word was quite common a century ago. It could range from a penny a book, per day to a penny per 1000 words. That was one reason some authors wrote such long books.

http://www. mythicalcreaturesguide. com/ page/ Cynogriffon remove spaces for link.

First task - Jan 15  
second task - March  
third task - may 29


	37. Chapter 37

I have had a lot of very nice reviews. I’d like to thank all those people who have left ‘well done’ reviews. So .... thanks so much. (I’ve been running around a bit so my on-line time has been limited. And, I’m lazy.)

.

 

The next morning started out, as usual, with exercise and shower. They decided to go down for breakfast, instead of eating in the juku.

This might have been a mistake, as the Daily Prophet had several articles about Yusuke, the Tri-Wizard and Neville, none of them complimentary. It was implied that Yusuke was blackmailing half a dozen well known citizens, Neville was bribing someone to allow illegal importation of potion plants, and the Tri-Wizard was fixed, or something. All the allegations were vague enough that everyone knew what the Prophet was implying but no one could point to any one thing as being inappropriate or an outright lie or libel?

The whispering and staring were annoying. Yusuke did notice, however, that Draco Malfoy kept his opinions to himself, except for stating, “I don’t even read that rag anymore. It’s the Wizarding Times for me.”

Yusuke simmered all through breakfast, finally throwing his napkin on the table and storming out in what Ron called a snit.

He ran down to Ken No Ie in an attempt to mitigate his temper. It worked, sort of.

“Shiriusu-oji! Where are you?” Yusuke just stood in the downstairs lounge and yelled.

“Here! What’s the fuss?” Sirius was messy haired and still in his pajamas.

Yusuke pointed to one of the gaki and demanded, “Paper.” The gaki knew exactly what the No Waka Omo wanted and handed the offending edition over to Sirius.

Sirius stood in the middle of the room and read. “Well, shit. This is out of hand. What do you want to do?”

“Don’t know. Did you send them a warning?”

“I did. And Remus made a follow-up. So ...” Sirius just waited.

Yusuke shook his head. “I’m done. Gloves off. Watashinochichi can just have a fit.”

Remus shrugged. “Petrol present?”

“I believe so.” Yusuke nodded.

Sirius had visited the Home Office of the Daily Prophet and had words with the editor, hoping to forestall this sort of thing. It hadn’t worked. Or rather, it had, but only for a few weeks. The Tri-Wizard had driven the paper to a frenzy of editorial abuses, aimed at selling papers, no matter what. 

Yusuke settled in his quarters to wait until dark. He wasn’t going back to Hogwarts, his mood was too bad. He didn’t mind the attacks on his character; they were mostly true, whether the paper could prove it or not. He was pissed because the attacks on Neville were not true; Neville was the epitome of honorable in Yusuke’s opinion.

He sent one of his gaki with a letter to Headmistress McGonagall, telling her that he wasn’t fit for company. He also sent one to Neville, to be shared with Hermione, telling him the same thing.

It didn’t take long for Hermione and Neville to show up at the door.

Neville just nodded to the gaki and handed over his robes. He now much preferred his BDU’s and soft boots; robes had always tended to wrap around his ankles, making him trip. Hermione also handed over her robes, but was led to a small side room so she could change into jeans, instead of her skirt and jumper. She also accepted the offer of a quilted hanten.

The two friends headed up the stairs to see if Yusuke was in a fit mood.

It turned out that he was. He was seated at a kotatsu, drinking tea and reading a manga.

Hermione eyed the book for a moment then said, “When you’re done, can I borrow that?”

Yusuke glanced at her then grunted, “Sure. But it’s the third. I’ll find the other two for you.” he snapped his fingers at someone who scurried to find the books in question. Hermione had them in front of her in seconds.

“Thank you.” Hermione grabbed the first book and stuck her nose in it; absently picking up a tea cup, she took a sip. “Cold.” It was replaced with a fresh one. “Arigatō.”

Neville produced a Wizarding Times from somewhere and settled in to read that. “Interesting article here. Seems that some newspapers in Magical Japan have ... um ... burned to the ground. It says here that that is a traditional yakuza way of protesting unflattering articles.” He eyed Yusuke for a moment. “You know any good fire spells?”

“Actually, I don’t. I know one to light a fireplace and one, like Hermione’s Blue Bell Flame, that provides both light and heat. But something like Fiendfyre? No.” Yusuke never looked up from the manga he was reading.

Neville frowned then opined, “Maybe you should learn one?”

“Why? I have ... other ways.”

“Oh, well, fine then.” Neville went back to his newspaper.

Hermione never looked up from her book, only groping around on the table for snacks.

They sat at the kotatsu, reading manga and eating snacks for most of the morning. Near noon, Hermione announced that she was going back to school as she had an essay to write. She smiled meanly, announcing, “As it’s for Snape, I’m writing one on the six useful uses of dragon’s blood. I’m excluding the other six, useless ones, with an explanation of why I consider them stupid.”

Neville sighed. “I should go back too. I’ve got an essay for Sprout. She’s determined that I’m going to be an Herbology master by the time I’m twenty. I’m hoping the same thing. So, essays.” He sighed again, but got up and followed Hermione out the door.

Yusuke smiled after them, then went to take a nap. 

.

“Oi! Yusuke-sama! Wake up!” Sirius carefully stayed out of arm's reach.

Yusuke opened one eye and scowled. “I’m awake. There’d better be tea.”

“There is. And sukiyaki. Come eat.” Sirius walked off, headed for the kitchen. They usually ate in the dining room, but as it was very late, they would eat in the kitchen. No need for the gaki to trudge all the way across the house for two people, even though they would do so with a smile for their kumicho.

After eating, Yusuke demanded, “Gasoline.” Remus just produced a can that said “Petrol” on it and handed it over. A waka came in with several wine bottles and insisted on filling them for Yusuke, declaring that he shouldn’t get the smell on his hands. 

Yusuke just demanded, “What’s the difference? I’m going to stink of it in an hour. No way am I going to handle all that without getting it all over me.”

Remus sighed. “Ok, I’m not too proud to ask.” He poked a snickering Sirius in the side. “What the hell are you making?”

“Petrol present,” Yusuke smirked at them. “More aptly called a Molotov Cocktail.”

Remus, more in touch with the muggle world, asked, “Do you know anyone in the IRA?”

Yusuke laughed, then said, “No. Unless you count Seamus Finnegan. I think one of his uncles was in.”

Remus nodded. “He was. And useful in all sorts of ways. Or so I’ve heard.” He grinned, in that wolfish way of his, then suggested, “Might mix a bit of paraffin in; makes it stick.”

The waka hurried off to find some. When he came back they just topped up the bottles with some then gave them a brisk shake.

Yusuke eyed the now-filled bottles, then started stuffing rags into the mouths. “I’d love to shrink these and put them in mallet space. But ... last time I did that, I had to collapse the space to get the gas out. And the smell was enough to knock you over. So ...” He glanced up; a waka was offering him a crate that was usually used to carry bottles of milk. “Thank you.” The two started putting the bottles in the crate.

It took just a bit longer for Yusuke to get ready for his raid. Sirius wrote a letter to the editor of the Daily Prophet which explained that, the next time they slandered someone, the whole building would go up in flames. 

Yusuke folded to the front of the Daily Prophet building. The presses were in the back and the offices were in the front. He took the letter out of his pocket and stuck it to a lamp post across the street with a simple sticking charm. He then threw the Molotov Cocktails through the windows of the editor’s office, the main receiving area and the bullpen. This set the entire front of the building on fire.

He couldn’t resist hanging around, in the pub across the street, to see what would happen next. 

He wasn’t much impressed when he realized that the fire brigade had shown up, wands in hand, and were using Aquimenti to try to put out the fire. All that was doing was spreading the lighter-than-water gasoline all over. 

Yusuke ordered a Guinness and settled back to watch the fun. 

As their efforts were just making the situation worse, the fire brigade tried the old-fashioned method of banishing the flame. This worked a bit better, as they were banishing the fuel, the gasoline/paraffin mix, at the base of the flames. However, they were a bit too late to contain the damage. Every bit of parchment in the offices had already gone up in flames and several of the desks were damaged beyond even magical repair. The floor in the reporters' bullpen had collapsed into the basement. The main entrance was now a gaping maw, full of unidentifiable, charred debris. It would be a week before the mess was cleaned up.

Then most interesting part was that the editor himself found the letter. After he read it he did the only thing he could do, under the circumstances: he quit. The owners of the paper had flatly told him that there would be no change in the Prophet’s daily practices, no matter who threatened who. He went home to his wife and they promptly moved to America to live with her sister until they both found jobs. 

The owners, upon receipt of the letter, published it in letters to the editor next morning. The presses hadn’t been damaged, beyond a bit of smoke.

Yusuke eyed the expression on Hermione’s face then sighed. “Ok, what’s that look for?”

Hermione just shook her head. “I’d think you’d at least make sure that the presses burned.”

Yusuke shook his head. “They’re made of metal. I’d have to use Symtex or something similar to mess them up. Besides, third time’s a charm.”

Neville snorted. “That’s an old wives tale. No charm in three’s.”

Yusuke gave him a dirty look. “It’s just a saying. Comes from baseball, if I remember correctly.”

Hermione nodded. “I think so too. But that’s neither here nor there. I wish you had gotten the presses. I really want that rag out of publication.”

Yusuke, remembering the clippings he’d seen, just assured her, “If they mess with me, they’ll be out of publication very soon. I don’t think they have the sense to keep their hands off me, or you or Neville. They’ll put their foot in it, sooner or later. You have any preferences as to how big the mess is?”

Hermione showed a ruthless streak that would have surprised her parents. “Editor, proof reader, reporter, presses. Anything else is gravy.”

“As you will, so shall it be done.” Yusuke smirked at her then settled in to eat breakfast.

This was soon accomplished, as the waka who brought up the bento had everything laid out and ready. Yusuke still insisted on eating bento when he ate in the Great Hall. When they ate in the juku, he wasn’t quite so picky. He did so love the dyspeptic looks Dumbledore gave him, when he was at Hogwarts. Headmistress McGonagall ignored the whole thing.

Yusuke finished his breakfast, handed the bento box to the waka with a soft, “Arigatō.” He then turned to Hermione. “Any classes we need to be in today?”

Hermione happily announced, “No. We’re caught up. Snape has been rumbling about us skipping but Headmistress McGonagall called him some nasty names in Highland cant and he shut up. If we don’t get O’s on the finals, he’s going to fail us.”

Neville snorted, he wasn’t scared of Snape anymore. “As if. Doesn’t make a ha’p’orth of difference. As long as we pass the ICW GEL’s, what’s he going to do?”

Yusuke shrugged. “Not much. You do realize that no country outside of Britain accepts NEWT’s ... right? Not without retesting.”

Neville and Hermione both did. They’d gotten a thundering lecture from Remus about not doing proper research. Hermione had then gone to research exactly who accepted what and was a bit shocked to realize that Britain was, more or less, ignored when it came to testing for jobs outside of its borders. 

Yusuke led the way to the juku and settled in to conduct business, Neville finished an essay for Transfiguration, then did the same. Hermione, well ahead of even her study buddies, decided to sort her correspondence.

After bit of shuffling, she decided to just give up and send it all to Miyamoto Musashi, with a note asking him to do what needed to be done with all the mess. She was sure he was well up to the task of putting people in their appropriate place, scaring the idiots out of being stubbornly idiotic and, in general, dealing with the mess.

.

Miyamoto Musashi was not pleased to receive Hermione’s packet. Not that she sent it, but that it was necessary at all.

Many of the letters were turned over to Masa-san, or Ichigo-san, to deal with. The letters attempting to bribe, coerce or frighten the girl into submitting to the second task infuriated him. The Muggle-Born Protective Act of 1996 expressly forbade such actions. He sent the letters to the appropriate ICW division, with a cover letter, demanding someone to deal at once.

The department did what it was supposed to do and sent an injunction to Dumbledore, Bagman et. al. demanding that they cease and desist at once. They had no choice but to comply. This led to the unhappy realization that they were going to have to come up with a different task. 

The letters the Musashi-san received in return made him smile, that smile that made opposing Oyabun wet themselves. He was not best pleased with Magical Britain and was just beginning to put the squeeze on them.

.

Dumbledore glowered at Ludo Bagman then demanded, “Well, what are we going to do, then?”

Bagman scowled right back. “I have no idea. We could just kidnap them and continue on. But that leaves us open to a call for an honor duel. I’m not about to leave myself open to such a thing. Bad for our image, don’t you know.”

Dumbledore nodded. “This tournament is to engender feelings of camaraderie and good-fellowship, not start an international incident. I would like to know how they found out about this so soon. Surely, young Harry hasn’t broken the code yet.”

“You’re a fool, if you really think that. That Granger girl is smart as a whip. And Longbottom is no idiot either. This is a damn mess.” He sighed. “So ... we have to figure out a different task. Quickly.”

They settled back to think about the mess they were in. Dumbledore refreshed the illusion charm that hid the fact that his beard was green and silver.

.

Yusuke tossed his pen down. “I’m bored. Let’s do something fun.”

Hermione rubbed her face. “Ok, what?”

Neville glanced out the window. “Parkor?”

Yusuke looked out too. “Don’t think so. Weather’s too bad. The roofs are too slick. I don’t want one of us to slip and fall into the lake or something.”

Neville, having just discovered the wonders of that sport, shrugged. “Beside the fact that McGonagall threatened us with dire consequences in Ald Scot. Hermione? Any ideas?”

Hermione, who didn’t do parkor, not having had the chance to learn over the summer like Neville, eyed the sky. “Well, it’s not that cold. My warming charms are up to snuff. So ... we could go fly?”

Yusuke nodded. “Sounds good. We can’t fly over the Quidditch field now as the yew hedges are too tall, but ...” he grinned. “We can use the roofs, chimneys and towers as obstacles, there’s even a few we can fly under.”

Hermione frowned for a moment then gave Yusuke a wicked grin. “I’m getting out my WWI Flying Ace jacket and that fur monstrosity that ... one of the waka got me.”

Yusuke snickered. “The thing that looks like a pokemon head?”

Hermione nodded. “Yeah, it’ll keep my ears nice and warm.”

Yusuke turned to Neville. “Neville?”

“I’m in. I haven’t had time to try out my new broom properly yet. And I’m sure Gran’s gift of flying leathers have adequate warming charms on them. Let’s go.”

They trooped off to get their flying clothes on. Yusuke called after Hermione, “Meet Neville and me on the flying buttress between the Great Hall roof and the Headmistress’s office tower.”

Hermione just nodded as she hurried up the stairs to the girl’s dorm.

She came back down in record time, wearing a leather bomber jacket lined with shearling. It had a mouton collar and cuffs. She was also wearing a knitted cap, Lavender had taken one look at her pokemon hat and grabbed it right off her head. The watch cap was thrown at her by Ginny. She carried her oar in one mittened hand. She grinned at Neville. “I do love Molly Weasley’s knitting.” She waved her left hand. “Ginny loaned these to me. Seems neither Lav nor Gin liked my hat, and they said I’d freeze my fingers off without mittens.”

Yusuke pulled on his gloves, fur-lined and warming-charmed. “She’s right. Come on.” He zipped his own bomber jacket up to his chin. 

Neville followed suit with his own hat and gloves. “I’m ready. But shouldn’t we have waited to finish dressing until we’re outside?”

Yusuke waved his hand and the common room windows flew wide, to objections from the other residents. “Oh, stifle yourselves. We’ll be out in a minute.” And, with that, he mounted his oar and soared out the window.

Hermione and Neville followed a second later. A third year brandished his wand, shutting the window. He grumbled, “They couldn’t fly from the inner courtyard like everyone else?”

.

Yusuke hovered just outside and above the window, waiting for Neville and Hermione to join him. 

Hermione settled facing him while Neville T’d the pair. 

Neville shook his head at Yusuke’s slightly wild grin. “I’m not following you. You’ll get us all killed. I know this mood.”

Yusuke snorted softly then returned, “Fine, then. We’ll follow Hermione.”

Ron would have laughed at that, if he’d heard it, Neville groaned.

Hermione had turned out to be a hell of a flyer, and a bit of a hot dog. She could, and would, lead them a merry chase. 

Hermione let out a whoop and made what Yusuke called a U-ie, flipping upside down and then corkscrewing to head in the opposite direction to the one she’d started in.

Neville let out a rebel yell, learned from one of the gaki, and followed her. Yusuke silently followed him.

They spent the next half hour flying like they were crazy. And this, while following Hermione.

She led them over the roofs, around chimneys and minor towers, under buttresses and over bridges. They flew upside down, right side up, and sideways. She led them through rising and falling drifts, Wronsky Feints, and other Quidditch moves. 

Finally, Flight-mistress Hooch called them down by flying up and blocking the way on her broom.

“All right, you three, you’ve terrorized the school long enough. Come down for lunch.”

This was when they realized that most of the school had been watching from various vantage points around the castle. The battlements, walkways and windows were crowded with people.

The Beauxbattons girls had gathered in the inner courtyard and The Durmstrang boys on the flying buttress between the clock tower and the tower to the west of it. The rest of the school were in the Astronomy tower, on the battlements and in the outer yards.

It wasn’t long before flurries of owls were headed for student’s homes, delighted descriptions of the flying sent out all over the nation.

Ludo Bagman got a letter from one of his gambling buddies, one who knew that the ‘lake idiocy’ wasn’t going to happen. He suggested that they, he and Ludo, take a quick trip to Madagascar. They were in the middle of their racing season there. They returned to Britain with ideas, some good, some not so.

This led to Bagman doing one of the few sensible things he did during the tournament: he consulted a designer. The man designed an obstacle course the equal of the best on the professional circuit. Little did he know that it was, on a scale of 1 to 10, an 8. An 8 was fairly difficult, aimed more at mid-level professionals than 17 year-old students. But when did the Tri-Wizard organizers care about that?

They also decided to put the course somewhere a little less convenient than the Highlands of Scotland. There was some argument that the jungles of Brazil would be nice, but settled on a location in Outer Mongolia instead.

This brought some complaints from the spectators as it was a bit difficult to get from Britain to Outer Mongolia in one jump; port-key or otherwise. The Ministry gave in and offered to create free, mass port-keys for the spectators' convenience.

.

Two days later, Hermione eyed the notification in the paper with disgust. “Ok, so ... they moved the second task to Outer Mongolia? And it’s up to the spectators to either get there themselves or take an unannounced port-key from an undisclosed point? Who in the world? Seriously?”

Yusuke just sighed. “British Wizards lack common sense. The Ministry is making mass port-keys for the spectators, but didn’t bother to tell anyone where to gather? Not a bit surprising. Not at all. Sō Baka!”

Hermione thought for a moment then asked, “How hard would it be to make the stands into one massive port-key? That would solve all the problems in one go. Just have everyone take their seats, then activated the key.”

Yusuke thought about that for a moment. “Not really that hard. It would take a fuck-ton of power, but that’s not that much of a problem. I’ll see what Remusu-aniki and Shiriusu-oji can come up with. Might do it in bits: seats, stadium ... then chain-activate it.” He pulled paper and pen from his mallet space and wrote a quick note. He gave it to the waka with orders to take it to Remusu-aniki. He’d finally given up on any attempt to force Dumbledore and the Ministry to leave his mail box alone. He absently wondered if Dumbledore was still inundated with ‘mystery’ mail and pranks.

He shoved his things back into mallet space, only to hear Ron say, “I don’t think that should be allowed. Who knows what sort of Dark Arts objects he’s got in there.”

The Headmistress happened to be walking by and overheard him. She was getting beyond tired of Ron’s constant harping on Yusuke; his written complaints filled a folder to bursting. “Well, Mr Weasley, if you really insist.” She mock glowered at Yusuke. “Miyamoto-san, please empty your space so that Mr. Weasley can go through it. In order to reassure him, you see.”

Yusuke blinked at her for a moment. “Nani? Hai. As you wish.” He waited for more information.

Headmistress McGonagall was glad to provide it. “Just empty it. Mr. Weasley will go through the mess, dispose of trash, clean anything that needs it. Excluding the weapons, which he will turn over to the waiting waka ... I think that’s the term? Then he will neatly pack everything else into boxes for your approval.”

Yusuke just grinned at her. “As you wish.” He then waved a hand, collapsing the mallet space.

This resulted in Ron being buried under a mound of stuff, mostly paper trash, broken brushes, empty bento, dirty clothing and towels, and a pile of weapons. This latter included three wakizashi, two tanto, four pair of sai, a pair of kama, three bo (one broken), and an odd litter of throwing pins and shrikin. His yelp made everyone at the table laugh.

“Well, Mr Weasley, don’t just sit there; get busy.” Headmistress McGonagall nodded once and walked away, robes swishing.

Hermione just returned to her food. “I hope you’re happy now, Ron. Just be careful of the edged weapons. You’ll likely cut off a finger. Madam Pomfrey won’t be best pleased to have to reattach it.”

Yusuke just produced a cigarette case from his clothing and lit one. “Oh, and ... there’s no cigarettes there. I ran out yesterday. Thus the case.” He waved it then put it away.

Ron pushed his way out of the pile. Yusuke had ‘accidentally’ opened his mallet space directly over his head. “What the bloody hell am I supposed to do with this junk?”

Yusuke eyed him with disgust. “Exactly what McGonagall-kyōju said. Sort it. Give all the weapons to Jiro-waka, clean the bento and clothing, throw away anything that is broken or obviously trash, then box up things according to ...” he waved a hand, “the obvious and return it to me. You may, of course, keep any dark objects you find. But make sure they are dark. McGonagall-kyōju will advise, I’m sure.” 

Ron snarled, “You just want me to do your work for you, that’s what.”

Yusuke shrugged. “You wanted to cause trouble, little boy. So you have ... for yourself. Get busy. I’d like my weapons back as soon as possible. I’d advise you to have it done before supper time. If you don’t ... I’ll be very displeased.” The look he gave Ron made him gulp, finally aware that he had played with fire and managed to come away only slightly scorched. He started sorting, hands shaking.

Hermione just gave a ‘Humph,’ and returned to the paper.

Neville eyed Ron with some disfavor then said, “Weasley, if you want help with herbology, find someone else. I’m done. You’re ... Anata wa kono yōna baka.”

Yusuke nodded. “So, he’s an idiot. We all knew that from day one. Leave it, you’ll just upset your stomach. Tea?” He offered his personal pot.

Neville took a cup, dosed it with honey, saying, “For my digestion,” and settled back to finish his own meal. He ate for a few moments then announced, “I really hate that new rule that McGonagall made ... seriously, who are we hurting by eating in the juku?”

Hermione shrugged. “I don’t know. But we settled on breakfast so that the owl who delivers the paper doesn’t have such a flight. So, suck it up.”

Neville grumbled a bit more but finally announced, “Well, fine. But it’s really a scramble to exercise, clean up and make it down in time.”

Yusuke smirked at Neville. “Well, I could always get you up an hour earlier.”

Neville snarled in return, “No you couldn’t. We could always divide the time, run in the morning ... maybe kata, too. Then yoga, tai chi and whatnot in the evening.”

Yusuke shrugged. “As you wish. Exercise from 6am to 8am, breakfast here, juku to study, do reports; then more exercise from three or four until time to clean up for dinner.”

Neville just nodded. “Then we could take a bit of time in the common room to visit with friends. You could have Remus and Sirius come in.”

Hermione frowned. “Is that allowed?”

“They’re alumni and in the same house. Beside, do you really want to think about keeping them out?”

Hermione shuddered. “Get involved in a prank war with those two? No, I thank you. Rather not.” She laughed softly. “We better get going.”

Yusuke nodded. “I’ve got reports from the Diagon and Knockturn Alley protective societies and several from businesses in Japan. I’d really like to go back to Japan for a bit. Things are beginning to get out of hand. I’ve messed around too much the last two holidays.”

Neville offered, “You could turn the day-to-day over to one of your brothers.”

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. “And why would I do that? They’re not responsible for those businesses; I am.”

“Because, as a responsible manager, you should turn management over to someone on-site, while you’re otherwise occupied.”

Yusuke’s stunned expression made Neville chuckle. “Writing to Shiriusu-san?”

“The second I get to my desk.” Yusuke nodded once and headed for the juku, trailed by his three gaki.

Neville’s gaki followed him, one of them offering Hermione his arm.

.

Dumbledore eyed the mail box with disgust. He’d tried just dumping the mail into a pile, but the ICW Postmaster had put the nix on that. He’d told Dumbledore that, if he insisted on censoring someone’s mail, he had to actually read it. So, now, he was buried under piles of love letters, proposals, many inappropriate, and requests for sponsorships or money. The pranks were very troublesome as well.

It was due to the pranks that he was having so much trouble with the mail. The house elves who usually opened and sorted mail had refused to touch his brimming desk after the third one grew hair, on his feet.

Dumbledore sighed and opened the first letter. A love letter from some barely identified young thing which turned his hair pink and his beard yellow. He waved his wand and changed them back, only to have them turned purple with pink stripes by the next missive. 

He went through hairy feet, hairy hands, bald, beardless, showers of confetti, flowers, chickens and stars; smells, including roses, peonies, chicken shit, rotten meat and toe jam. There were also a variety of explosions, loud noises and strange music; he did not consider Motley Crue, Def Leppard or Techno Japan real music, thank you. Exhausted, magically and physically, he finally finished sorting the mess.

Now that it was safe, the elves took the opened missives away to be answered. They told all the suitors, male and female, no. Letters asking for money were also told no. Solicitations for endorsements were instructed to send further information to hell.

Dumbledore, distracted beyond belief, found that somehow, someone had managed to leave him a bit of a present: his tea froze in his cup for the rest of the day. Heating charms did the trick, but reheated tea wasn’t that nice. 

He finally, near midnight, got to the diplomatic packet from the Ministry. He was disgusted to read that his perfectly sensible second task was replaced with a racing course. He couldn’t figure out why it was to be held in Outer Mongolia, only that he was tasked with creating the viewing stands, which were to be a port-key. He sighed. He was powerful, but he was going to need help with that one. He wrote a couple of hopeful letters and went to bed.

.

Headmistress McGonagall settled at her desk and ‘listened’ to Hogwarts. The school was much more responsive to her than it ever had been to Dumbledore. She wondered why, but gave that up in favor of doing something. The wards were in shambles and needed to be reinforced. 

This wasn’t as much of a trial as she’d thought it might be; it just took a lot of concentration; interruptions of any sort made it necessary to start again. She’d locked her office door and put up a silencing ward, left a note, and told the gargoyle not to ring her.

It took her nearly three hours to do the first stage. She needed to recover between stages; Poppy had threatened multiple potions if she exhausted herself. Her schedule now included periodic maintenance of the wards.

After finishing her ward work, she turned to paperwork. Dumbledore had neglected this to a shameful degree; she’d found requests for equipment, books, supplies, and all sorts of things just crammed into drawers and boxes, and shoved between books. She’d gotten a couple of house elves to sort them out and put them in chronological order; there were things that went back to the ’60’s. She shook her head and started on the oldest.

.

Remus Lupin was of the opinion that the second task was going to be a shoo-in for Yusuke. The very idea of sticking some poor jerk under the lake, in suspended animation, to be ‘rescued’ by a seventeen-year-old gave him an upset stomach every time he thought about it. The race and obstacle course was a much better idea. He just wondered if Bagman and Dumbledore got it. Sirius was of the opinion that they didn’t and never would.

Sirius, being a Black, just observed that anyone who expected British magicals to use logic was an idiot. He countered one gaki’s opinion by saying, “It’s not that they’re British, or magical, but that they’re both.”

He happily announced that he was folding in, as he didn’t want to wind up on the moon, Dumbledore being what he was. 

Remus and all the yakuza agreed that they’d be going in two jumps, one to Japan to pick up the rest of their group and the next to Outer Mongolia. They could do the trip in one fold but they wanted to present a united front, for appearances sake.

.

It didn’t take Dumbledore, Madam Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff long to create the port-key. After doing so, they all retired to their private quarters to rest. Dumbledore was put off to realize that he was now in guest quarters on the third floor, rather than in the Headmasters Quarters in the central tower. His one attempt to get the house elves to move his personal things back was met with head shaking, ear flapping and squeaky denials along the lines of, “We is not moving Dumbldy man’s things. He is not being Headmaster anymore. Hoggywartses is not recognizing him.” They offered tea and snacks then told him that he was welcome at the head table, in the guest seat. He dismissed them and went to bed to sulk and suck on sweets.

.

Karkaroff took a gulp from his flask, shuddered and sat down to write a letter. He knew all the security arrangements for the task and needed to send them to his master. The plan was coming to fruition sooner than expected. He just hoped his information was enough. He shuddered again, for a different reason. His master’s discipline was strict. 

Unfortunately for him, the Russian had no way of knowing that his foreknowledge would do him little good. He was dealing with a Konton-zai wa, an Agent of Chaos. Any plans opposing, or even involving, Yusuke were heavily weighted in his favor; success against him was never guaranteed, or even likely. Karkaroff would have to learn that the hard way... eventually.

.

Ludo Bagman looked around the stadium, trying to make sure that everyone was in their seat. If they weren’t, the handout assured them that they had to find their own way to the event. This task was turning out to be a giant headache.

Moody, ‘don’t call me sir,’ glowered around as well. His magical eye made it easy for him to spot empty seats. There were a few but he decided, “It’s time. Tell Dumbledore.”

Mr. Bagman hurried to the Ex-Headmaster’s side. “It’s time.”

Dumbledore consulted an elaborate pocket watch for a moment then replied, “I believe you are right. Shall I?”

“Please.” Ludo barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Why else would he have told the old fool that it was time?

Dumbledore touched his wand to his throat and created a Sonorous. “Everyone in your seats now, if you please.” He waited a moment then announced, “We’re off!” And, with that, the whole stadium disappeared with a thunderous ‘whap’. 

The stadium reappeared somewhere in Outer Mongolia, facing the race track and obstacle course. 

Secure in the knowledge that all the champions were in the room under the stadium, Dumbledore began his announcements.

“Gentle Wizards and Witches. It is my distinct pleasure to announce the beginning of the Second Tri-Wizard Task. As no one was willing to volunteer for the planned task, we have decided, instead, on a combination race. The champions will take one lap around the oval, then go only through the red flagged obstacles, after another lap, the blue flags must be followed. A third lap will complete the race. Each flag has a number and, if needed, an arrow. The numbers indicate in which order the obstacles are to be taken, the arrows whether over, or under, left or right. All hoops are to be flown through.” Dumbledore waited while the spectators absorbed this. “Now to introduce our champions. Just in case.” His chuckle sounded odd as it echoed around the stadium.

The introductions went about as expected. Ivan was introduced first and gave the stands a Russian style bow, clicking his heels and bouncing slightly. Odette was next and curtsied, smiling prettily. 

When Dumbledore introduced ‘Harry Potter’ nothing happened. He looked around expectantly then turned to Mr Bagman. 

Odette answered the unasked questions, “Msr. Miyamoto was not in the champion’s room. The Japanese person who was, said that Miyamoto-san would come later.”

The crowd was just beginning to get restless when a voice from the other side of the stadium announced, “Miyamoto Yusuke-sama and gumi.” and the whole group just appeared, walking down the outside track in front of the stands.

Yusuke came first, dressed in an Armani suit, overcoat draped casually over his shoulders. He was followed by Remus to his left and Sirius to his right, both one step behind, also dressed in expensive, bespoke suits. The rest of the gumi followed them. 

The crowd broke into applause; none of the other champions had given them such a show. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat, trying to redirect the attention to him. “Well, all the champions are here. We will now have the examination of the brooms. All the champions please make their way to the central stage.”

The stage in question was set up in the middle of the obstacle course where everyone could see the participants clearly. Gathered on the stage were custom broom makers from several different companies. They were all there to examine the brooms, and to make sure that there were no cries of ‘foul’ later. 

The champions mounted the platform, Yusuke glowering at Ivan until he made way for Odette. Dumbledore smiled genially at this. 

The first broom examined was Odette’s. The experts passed it easily, exclaiming over the delicate inlay on the stick. Ivan’s broom also passed, although one of the French experts sniffed at the rather rough stick. When Yusuke produced his ride, offered to him by a gaki on one knee, the experts all just threw up their hands. They were all well aware of the oars that many Oriental flyers preferred, but had no personal experience with them. 

Yusuke said, “Tabako!” A waka hurried to light a cigarette and give it to him. He stood, smoking, while the experts argued between themselves as to what to do. He finally barked, “Get on with it. The spectators are getting restless.”

Odette took a deep breath then said, “I am willing to waive the inspection. I do not believe that Msr. Miyamoto would cheat in that fashion. It is ... beneath him.”

Ivan snorted. “I will also waive. The only reason to cheat is if you’re not sure you can win.” Karkaroff gave him a dirty look, which he ignored.

The officials gave way to the experts and passed the two brooms and oar.

In the stands, Hermione poked Neville. “They didn’t even look at Yusuke’s oar.”

“Likely never seen one. Experts in brooms, yes; oars, no.” Neville signaled to a busker and bought two paper cones, folded over at the top. He offered one to Hermione, “Chestnuts?”

“Please.” she unfolded the top, revealing a mound of fragrant, toasted nuts. “Mmmm. Good. Thank you.”

“Welcome.” Neville nibbled for a moment. “Ah! They’re ready to begin. Ten on Yusuke?”

Hermione cast him a look from under her lashes. “Not a chance, Longbottom. You’ve turned into a regular shark. I know better.”

Neville shrugged. “Can’t hex me for asking.”

“Oh, yeah?” Hermione settled back in her seat. Since the temperatures here were in the teens, it was an unhappy young lady who snuggled into her cloak.

“Cold?” Neville, being wiser in the ways of wizards had applied warming charms to his cloak. “Would you like a brick to your feet?”

Hermione shivered. “Something. I didn’t think it would be this cold.”

“It’s not the cold, it’s the wind.” And that was the problem, the wind that blew across the steppes was frigid. It blew away body heat as fast as they could make it.

Some people were combatting the cold with heavy cloaks, warming charms and other things. Some were just braving it out.

Neville didn’t see any reason to suffer in silence. He ordered hot bricks and hot drinks, and cast a barrier charm that created a small, clear dome just over the two of them. He’d learned that his magic was much more responsive to the rings he now wore than it ever had been to a wand, any wand. He also reinforced the warming charms on Hermione’s cloak.

Hermione relaxed, sighed, then said, “Thank you so much, Neville. I fear that I still think like a muggle at times. Hot bricks with warming charms, lovely tea. Wonderful.” 

Neville nodded to the race course. “I think they’re about to start.”

.

Yusuke nodded to several of his men. They came forward with racing leathers. These consisted of heavy, padded leather pants, loose in the hips like jodhpurs; tall, fur-lined boots; a heavy silk undershirt and wool sweater, over which he wore the same jacket he’d worn at Hogwarts. Added to that, he wore a knitted watch cap which he tucked his hair under. 

When one of the judges called, “Ready!” all the champions donned gloves and mounted their brooms. 

A second judge called, “Steady;” the champions rose into the air.

Dumbledore waved his wand and created a loud crack. 

The champions shot off on the first speed lap.

It was clear from the first that Yusuke was up to the challenge. He stayed at least forty yards in front of Igor and more than sixty in front of Odette.

Odette was rather obviously afraid of the task, flying near the ground and keeping her speed below the capabilities of the broom. The French supporters all shouted out advice to fly higher and faster.

Ivan wasn’t afraid of the height nor the speed but his broom was not up to the task he’d set it. It wasn’t a turtle by any means, but it was slower than Yusuke’s oar.

The lap was completed quickly and the first round of obstacles begun. In this, it was more than clear that Odette was going through the motions. She managed to get over, under and through most of the ‘jumps’, but her heart was clearly not in it.

Ivan managed to close with Yusuke over Numbers 1, 2, and 3. But he was cutting everything very close to shave seconds so obstacle 4 was his undoing. Instead of making it over the bar, he hit it square on. This snapped the bar and sent the young man tumbling to the ground, his broom shattered. Medi-wizards hurried out to tend to him.

Yusuke ignored this and finished his trip through the obstacles. He hit the second flat lap at high speed and drifted into the first turn. On the straightaway, he pushed the oar to its best speed and barely managed to keep on the track in the second turn. 

Hermione cheered her lungs out and Neville yelled himself voiceless. The rest of the crowd cheered or boo-ed, according to their affiliation. The Yakuza contingent chanted some sort of slogan over and over again. Their chanting of, “Iku! Iku! Hayai! Anata wa sore o okonau koto ga dekimasu!” left everyone near them half deaf.

Yusuke hit the second round of obstacles at a speed that made everyone in the stadium gasp and groan. Except for Hermione, Neville and the yakuza contingent. Remus shouted, “Yusuke, stop faffing about.”

Yusuke dived under a bar, the blue flag with the downward-pointing arrow showing which way he was to go. Then he flashed through a hoop, only to have to spin nearly 360 degrees to make it through the next one. Then a quick dive under one bar and a frantic rise to go over the next. The crowd cheered.

Odette wasn’t fairing as well. She was far behind Yusuke, with no chance of catching up, but the rules demanded that she continue to the end, on the off chance that all her opponents managed to bugger themselves up. She wasn’t holding out any hope of this, but persevered so as not to be disqualified.

As Odette began the second series of obstacles, Yusuke hit the third and final flat lap. It just so happened that he passed Odette as she began the lap. He passed at such speed that he actually blew her robes into a flutter. She squeaked and missed the first obstacle and had to go back to get it.

Yusuke never noticed, he was having way too much fun. The last lap was finished in record time and Yusuke claimed the checkered flag.

The crowd was on its feet, cheering, even those who wished someone else to win. Who wouldn’t cheer for someone with such a brilliant smile on their face.

The yakuza rushed the field and lifted Yusuke to their shoulders. 

Miyamoto Musashi just smiled at all this and led the way to the central stage.

The judges stepped forward together, then one took another step. “First, Ivan Dubrovsky, the Durmstrang champion is fine. He broke a leg and some ribs.” There was a quick spatter of applause. “Thank you. He’ll stay in the infirmary for the night and be back, good as new, tomorrow. Miss Renaud is second, and will be given one third of the total points. Miyamoto Yusuke came in an obvious first and will be awarded two thirds of the points.” The cheering from the Oriental section was all that one could wish.

Odette offered Yusuke her hand. “Congratulations on your win.”

Yusuke took the hand bowed over it and replied, “Thank you so much.” he caught a signal from Masa-san. “There’s to be a party. Would you like to attend?”

Odette, having been cautioned by both Madam Maxime and her father, smiled then replied, “No, I thank you. Father has organized a bit of a thing for me. And you are well aware how being absent would look. But I do appreciate the invitation.”

Yusuke bowed. He collected his men with a glance and, ignoring both Bagman and Dumbledore, ambled off to join his gumi.

.

Hermione grinned until her face hurt. Neville, a bit more circumspect, nearly knocked a man down, rushing to the men surrounding Yusuke. 

The gaki and waka had completely forgotten senpai/kohai and were milling around, passing Yusuke from hand to hand, slapping his back and congratulating him on his win.

Yusuke, for his part, was taking the whole thing with a calm that belied his age. He accepted the congratulations with aplomb. 

Suddenly, the milling crowd parted as if it had been cut with a knife. Miyamoto Musashi was coming to congratulate his son. All the yakuza bowed deeply and held it until Musashi-dono passed.

“Otoko oya!” Yusuke bowed deeply as well.

“Segare. Congratulations on your win. I am very proud of you. Come!” Musashi-dono smiled at everyone, then shouted, “O saki tō!” He nodded at Hermione and Neville. “You too.”

.

Several hours later, Remus was passed out under the table, the heavy quilt/tablecloth covering all but his feet. Sirius was still upright, only because a non-drinking waka had shoved several pillows under his arm. Hermione was singing J-pop with several gaki, waving her fan to conduct them. Neville was in that group but nodding heavily.

The Miyamoto family was happily observing their friends and ninkyo-dantai having fun, getting drunk and eating good food. “Good! Good! Yusuke, you have done well.”

Yusuke drank another cup of sake before saying, “Thank you, sir. I thought it went well.”

Ichigo snorted into his cup. “Better if it was all over.” he nodded once then changed the subject. “Rongubotomu-san brings good business. We need to court him.”

Masa added, “He’s a good one. Knows what’s proper, or asks if he doesn’t.”

Ren was just drunk enough that he wasn’t as discreet as he might have been. “You need to off that bastard, fart, or whatever. He’s bad for business. What’s taking you so damn long?”

Yusuke poured another round for his father and brothers then handed the bottle to Ren, who poured him a cup. “Can’t find the asshole. He’s scurried into a hole like the cockroach he is. I’ve broken his mob, but he’s still got six or seven upper-level and some mid-level men left. They’ve all disappeared like smoke on the wind. Even Remusu-aniki and Shiriusu-oji can’t find them. I’m hoping that the bastard has some plan for getting me to him. That Karkaroff stinks, I think he’s in on something.” He hiccupped. “Fuck! But ... I’m too drunk. Fuck you. We’ll talk about this after the hangover fades.”

Musashi-san nodded wisely. “No sense in talking business now. We’ll just forget by morning. Drink up.” He poured a round himself, ignoring good manners and filling his own cup. Who was going to tell the Oyabun he was rude?

It wasn’t long after that that Sirius fell over, out cold. Musashi-san and Ichigo followed quickly. Ren and Masa managed a few more drinks; then they were out. Most of the dansai followed soon after, joined by Neville.

Hermione, harder-headed than anyone expected, eyed the fallen men with disgust. She stood up, staggered to Yusuke and flopped back down, pushing Masa aside with drunken contempt. “Lightweight. Pour.”

Yusuke regarded her with amusement, poured her a cup and managed to pour himself one without missing his cup, much. The non-drinkers just took their assigned charge away, or waited for him to pass out.

Hermione managed one more cup then grumbled, “I’m gone,” and promptly fell over backward. A couple of women scurried forward and gathered her up. They took her away and did what needed to be done.

Yusuke burped, eyed the cup and decided he was done too. He’d managed to fake-drink just enough that he wasn’t totally wasted, but he was very, very drunk. He looked up at the waiting waka then said, plaintively, “Take me to bed. I’m done too.”

He was helped up by an older man and supported to bed. The man got him out of his clothing and into a flannel yukata, tucked him into his futon and patted his shoulder. “Sleep.” But Yusuke was already out cold. 

.

Iku! Iku! Hayai! Anata wa sore o okonau koto ga dekimasu - Go! Go! Faster! You can do it!

Otoko oya - Father

Segare - my son


	38. Chapter 38

893.38

“Son of a fucking bitch, and all her pups.” Yusuke woke up, rolled over, and held his head. “I’m awake ... sort of.” He rolled one eye, looking for his personal attendant.

That waka was awake and ready. “Here you go, Oojisama, hang-over potion. Pain potion for the muscle aches ... and tea to take away the taste.” 

Yusuke gulped the potions, still halfway flat on his back; he sat up to drink his tea, the kakifuton still wrapped around his shoulders. The waka politely refrained from saying that he looked like death warmed over, even though he did.

The waka brought breakfast and more tea. Yusuke grunted, drank tea and suffered. The hangover potion had done its job, but the amount of sake Yusuke had drunk had dehydrated him. The tea would help, but it would take time. 

While Yusuke was waking up, the rest of the drinkers were doing the same. 

Neville woke up much the same way Yusuke did. His waka also gave him potions and tea. After taking the potions and drinking the tea, Neville simply threw the kakifuton back over his head and went back to sleep. The waka chuckled to himself and went away. He’d come back in a couple of hours and wake the No Wakai Omo again.

Hermione, on the other hand, was attended by several women; whores, actually. “Come! Up!” The woman shook Hermione by the shoulder. “You have to have potions, tea, bath. Come!”

Hermione grumbled in bad Japanese and fragments of English, but she got up and shambled into the bathroom. There, she was showered, soaked and primped. She submitted with good grace, drinking the potions and settling in to soak and drink tea. She was glad to see that the clothing she was given was appropriate to her age and station, and her makeup was too. 

Remus, werewolf stamina coming to the fore, poked Sirius. “You awake?”

“Kutabare, asshole.” Sirius pulled his kakifuton back over his head.

“Not fuckin’ you, you’re too ugly. Get up.” Remus pulled the kakifuton back down.

“No. And stop shouting.” Sirius sat up, scowling at Remus.

Remus just handed over potions. “Here. Drink.”

Sirius did. He shuddered, moaned and reached for the tea pot on the small table at his elbow. “I hate you.”

“Werewolf. I woke up hung over, but it’s already faded. Wonder how Yusuke’s doin’.” Remus smirked at Sirius, who just rolled his eyes and drank his tea.

Yusuke, it seemed, was doing fairly well. He ordered a bath and finished another pot of tea while he waited for it to be ready. This wasn’t a bath down at the big bath house, but one in a smaller tub here in the Miyamoto compound. The tub held three or four men at most and wasn’t kept full. So he had to wait for it to be filled and heated. Since they had magic available the heating was fairly quick― never mind that their form of Aquamenti took four seconds to fill it; heating it took nearly five minutes.

He settled into the tub and sighed. “Oi, someone!”

A gaki poked his head into the bathroom and said, “A? Nani?”

“Where’s Nebiru-kun? And Hāmainī-chan?” 

The gaki shrugged. “Don’t know, Oojisama, I’ll go find them. You want them here?” The gaki hoped not but they’d be here, if the Oojisama wanted them.

“No. Just want to make sure they’re ok. We did a lot of drinking last night.” Yusuke finished his tea. “New pot, please.”

The gaki picked up the pot, saying, “I’ll go see about your friends then bring more tea. Okay?”

“Fine.” Yusuke waved the man away and sank into the bath up to his chin.

He was soon joined by Sirius and Remus. 

Remus snickered as Sirius moaned his way into the tub. Sirius splashed Remus. “Shut up, you mangy wolf.” He mumbled, “Hate wolfy recovery times,” then took a cup of tea.

Yusuke grumbled, “Shut up, both of you. Noisy assholes.” 

The waka came back with a pot of tea and told Yusuke that he had not yet located the two Engrishu. The tea pot made several rounds before they all decided that they were human, and hungry.

Sirius splashed out of the tub, grabbed a towel from a stack on a stool nearby and announced, “Yusuke, we have to decide what to do about the remaining Death Eaters. Food.”

Yusuke, used to this sort of thing, just grunted, exited the tub himself and dried off. 

Remus shook his head at their antics and said in a mild tone, “Ok, Death Eaters at breakfast. There’d better be nattō.”

They settled at a western style table in the kitchen and demanded food. Kuma grinned at them and provided. “Okay, food. And some advice.”

Yusuke zeroed in on Kuma. “Sure.”

“You’re not going to get close to Fart until you trim all the fat. I know you’ve been whittling the death-eating fools down, but you have to make a major hit soon.” Kuma plunked bowls of soup, rice and dumplings on the table along with nattō, smoked fish and a huge tea pot.

Yusuke grumbled, “Well, sure, tell me something I don’t know. Like how to find a big meet.”

Remus nodded. “We’ve taken a few prisoners, even gotten a couple of the second tier, but no one knows more than five others. All we need is one top-tier officer― that would get us the location of their new HQ. If we find that, we’ve got it made.”

Sirius agreed, “Exactly. But we’re still looking.”

Yusuke sighed. “All I want is to find that idiot Riddle. I’ll off him, Father will be happy, and I can come home. I hate Scotland. Fucking cold, damp, barren wilderness. They don’t even have good tea. It’s all red.”

Remus grumbled, “As if red tea was the epitome of your worries. Please.”

Yusuke poked at his smoked fish, a discontent expression flitting over his face. “It isn’t but then ... finding that jackass Riddle is. So ...” he glowered at his godfather and honorary uncle and his ‘big brother’. “Fucking find him, damn it. Or at least find me some targets with a bounty worth the trouble.”

The waka finally returned again, with a new pot and the information that Neberu-san was still bathing, but the Honorable Lady was walking in the gardens.

Yusuke grunted, poked at his fish again then asked, “Either one of them want breakfast?”

“I asked Neberu-san, he said later. The Honorable Lady had breakfast with the ... women.” 

Yusuke groaned hollowly. “Fucking hell. They’ll be giving her all sorts of ill-advised advice.”

Remus snickered at that, got a filthy look from both Sirius and Yusuke and subsided to finish his tea.

They continued to discuss the possibility of finding a good target; at least Sirius and Remus did, Yusuke just bitched bitterly about this whole fuck-up.

Hermione wandered in just as Yusuke was bemoaning the fact that no one seemed to be able to find him a target.

Sirius agreed, remarking sadly, “We can tag them with tracking charms and get a direction, but how the hell do you know how far to go? You can go until the charm points behind you but that’s still not that useful.”

Hermione picked up a cup of tea, sipped then said, “Triangulation.”

Yusuke made a disgusted sound. “Fuck me. Stupid idiot. Of course.” Yusuke let Hermione explain it, he wasn’t that patient.

Sirius and Remus asked all sorts of questions, most of them intelligent, but Remus asked the most pertinent one. “Why doesn’t the Auror Corp use something like that?”

Sirius shrugged. “No idea.” They turned to look at Hermione.

She just shrugged and said sourly, “Because British Wizards are idiots? Inbreeding at its best.”

Yusuke blinked, “It’s really that bad?”

Sirius snorted. “Take a look at my family tree sometime. I’m related to about half Magical Britain, you included.”

Yusuke gave that up, just making that noncommittal sound usually written as, ‘Hn.’

Remus returned to the subject at hand. “So, we catch a Death Eater, tag him and let him go...”

Hermione sighed. “No, you don’t. You tag him from ambush, then track him. You draw a line from where you tagged him straight across the map. Then you get another, in a different location and do it again. The more tags you have, the narrower your search parameters. Muggles can do it with electronic bugs and find someone within about 5 inches.”

Sirius grumbled, “And that just sucks.”

“What does?” Hermione snagged a fish.

“If a Wizard uses Muggle weapons, he’s usually just hexed outright. It’s JUST NOT DONE.” He made a face.

Yusuke snorted. “In Britain. I use guns all the time. It depends on what impression you want to give. I don’t think I’m going to get away with dropping a JDAM on Malfoy manor. Beside the fact that I don’t have one, nor the jet needed to launch the thing.”

Hermione blinked once then said, rather mildly, “No, nor the five million dollars one costs. Never mind the cost of the plane.”

Yusuke snorted and waved a negligent hand. “Money isn’t the problem, accessibility is.”

Hermione broke into giggles. When she calmed down, she said, “I can just see you walking into a military base and asking, ‘Excuse me, sir. Where would I go to buy a plane and some bombs?’ Give ‘em that, ‘Who, me? I’m innocent,’ Duo Maxwell look.”

“Yeah, and spend the next two weeks explaining myself. Thanks, but no thanks.” Yusuke grinned at her.

They went back to trying to explain the finer points of tagging and triangulation to Sirius and Remus. Yusuke wondered if the British stupidity was catching.

Finally, they managed to grasp the concept and started making plans to tag every Death Eater they could find. This meant that they would have to put off collecting bounties for a bit, but they had high hopes of finishing the assignment and collecting the Potter fortune before summer's end.

.

Neville, meanwhile, was pondering the third task. What, he wondered, was with the mess the Tri-Wizard officials had made of the Quidditch pitch? He closed his eyes and tried to envision the magically flash-grown Yew hedges. His eyes popped open and he exclaimed, “A labyrinth. But ... well, I’ll tell Yusuke and let him figure the rest out.” He realized that he was turning into a prune in the hot water, clambered out of the tub and dried. He allowed one of the waka to act as dresser―he was never sure he’d gotten everything crossed and tied properly.

He ambled down the corridor, taking his time and enjoying the sound of the nightingale floor. He understood that the original had been installed in the early 1700’s. 

Neville flopped gracelessly onto the floor by the table, scrambled around to get seated then announced, “It’s a labyrinth.”

Yusuke shoved food in his general direction and demanded, “What’s a labyrinth?”

“The third task.” Neville helped himself to this and that. “Don’t think it’s all that dangerous.”

Hermione rubbed her face, she now understood a few of Hagrid’s remarks. “It is if it’s stuffed full of Hagrid’s pets.”

Sirius’ eyes widened. “Well, shit.”

Remus blinked for a second. “So ... that’s what he was rambling on about. Full moon madness and what not all. Idiot. Not a fucking chance in hell I’ll go without my potion for any reason. And most especially not to provide some ... jackass.” He shook his head.

Yusuke patted him on the knee. “Maa-maa. No way I’d approve, no matter what Hagrid or Grandfather Longbeard says. Calm.”

“Workin’ on it.” Remus sipped tea and did breathing exercises until he was calm.

Yusuke thought. “Ok, I don’t see anything much to complain about in a labyrinth, no matter what critter Hagrid sticks in it.”

Hermione grumbled, “As long as it isn’t a basilisk or a naga.”

Yusuke chuckled, “I think I spiked those guns with the ICW order that endangered species couldn’t be moved unless they were in mortal peril or creating a danger in and of themselves.”

“You are totally evil and I love you.” Hermione patted Yusuke on the shoulder.

He patted her back. “And I love you, too, ane.”

Hermione grinned, she loved it when Yusuke called her ‘sister’.

“Ok, so, what do we know for sure?” Hermione waited for a good answer.

“Not much. Just that each contestant will probably go into the labyrinth, or maze, in turn. But what are you supposed to do in it?” Sirius rubbed his chin as he considered that.

Remus wrote a note and handed it to a waka. “See that Masa-sama gets that as soon as possible.” He settled more comfortably. “We’ll just have to wait and see. So, last task is in May, just before school is out. And I’d like to see this whole cluster fuck done by July at the latest.”

Hermione, meanwhile, was pondering the task. “Okay, please let me talk this out.” She grimaced, “If I don’t, I’ll be chewing on it forever.”

Yusuke just shrugged. “Hurry up. We have to get back to school in ...” he glanced at his watch. “two hours. Shit.”

Hermione frowned. “That really doesn’t make sense. I know that Dumbledore made it a rule that all champions have to be on grounds during weekly class hours but ... since you don’t actually have to be in class, what’s the difference?”

Sirius thought about that for a moment. “The old duffer wants to keep the champions at Hogwarts as much as possible. Not sure why ... unless ... he wants to separate Yusuke from his family and turn him into Harry Potter again. Not that it will work, but I’d bet real money on it.”

Remus considered that idea from all sides; it only took him a couple of seconds to agree. “You’re probably right. He has no idea. Really? I know he’s as fickle as a bag of butterflies but ... bushido? Anyone?”

Hermione snorted, “That old dufus hasn’t got a clue. Everything is for his ‘Greater Good’ ...” she made quote motions with both hands. “Only thing is, he can’t see the people for the populace. He does things that anyone with some common sense wouldn’t even consider.” She realized that everyone was looking at her very oddly. “What? I grew up. Get over it.”

She then changed the subject. “Okay, anyway ... we have a labyrinth or maze. The difference being a maze has dead ends, a labyrinth does not. So ... one, I think it’s a maze. Two, there’s going to be something nasty at the dead ends. Three, finding the middle gives some reward. But ... what are the nasties and what is the reward? Outside of the obvious.” She frowned into her teacup. 

Neville sighed. “Sorry about misleading you. I ...”

Yusuke interrupted him with a wave of his hand. “Never mind that. You did good. We now know what questions to ask and where to start asking them.” He stood up. “We need to be on the move in thirty minutes. Go!” Everyone scrambled to go get packed and ready.

As they were in the family compound, several waka and gaki helped with this task. Not that it was that much to do. Yusuke hadn’t brought anything, as most of his things stayed here; Hermione was the same, she’d had to send a woman out to buy her something. Neville was satisfied to borrow a clean yukata from one of Yusuke’s brothers, while Sirius and Remus were like Yusuke and had things there. So all the dansei had to do was find their dirty things, shove them into a bag and find the owner thereof.

Yusuke looked around. “Ok, that was good. Ten minutes. I’m impressed. Let’s go.” And with that, he took Hermione’s arm and folded back to Ken No Ie. The rest followed quickly.

Sirius glanced around. “We should all walk up to Hogwarts.”

Remus picked up on Sirius’ discomfort. “What?”

“Don’t know. Just ... back of my neck is crawling.” Sirius knew it wasn’t Rita Skeeter spying on them―she was still hors de combat―so something wasn’t right.

Most of the dansei went into Ken No Ie at Yusuke’s signal. They would wait until something happened or they were summoned.

It didn’t take long for something to happen. The pops of apparition alerted everyone that something was going down. Yusuke immediately grabbed Hermione, shoved her into a gaki’s arms and barked, “Ken no ie! Imasugu!” The gaki took one step and disappeared, with Hermione protesting all the way. 

Once Hermione was out of the way, Yusuke turned his attention to matters at hand. They were surrounded, sort of, by six DE’s in full regalia. They had some problems; one problem being, between Remus, Sirius, Yusuke, Neville and the five remaining yakuza, they were out-numbered.

The other problem was: they were neither civilians, Aurors, nor Order of the Phoenix.

The first volley of hexes flew wide on the part of the Death Eaters. The answering volley took its toll; only two DE remained standing; the others fell to blasting hexes and a curse that Sirius claimed to be a Black family secret. The two remaining men were stupefied and taken to Ken No Ie to be interrogated. It wasn’t that surprising that Remus and Sirius made an incredibly effective team. Sirius played on the reputation of his family; Remus just let his eyes bleed gold and snarled. If one or the other didn’t work, both did. They never actually resorted to true torture, just the threat or a few slaps or punches. Real torture usually didn’t work; a person in real pain will tell you what they think you want to hear, just to make the pain stop. Not usually that helpful. A well used Imperio would do the job just as well. The only thing a session of torture would do was give you a bad reputation, not that bad a thing as far as Yusuke was concerned.

Yusuke settled his clothing and announced, “See what they know. Send me a report. Where’s Hermione?” The young lady in question hurried up to him. “Ok, good. Neville?” Neville also straightened his robes. “Excellent. We go now.” and Yusuke led the way to the gates of Hogwarts and up the path to the great front doors.

Neville kept his place at Yusuke’s left and one step behind, while Hermione also kept her place one step behind Neville. This had nothing to do with her sex/gender and more to do with her ability and willingness to fight. She was quite willing to defend herself, or someone else, but she wasn’t of the mind set to start anything, so she was eyes behind. 

They swept into the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. They started breakfast, only to be interrupted by a squad of Aurors who charged into the hall, wands drawn. Why they did that was anybody's guess, as they’d all attended the school and knew better.

Headmistress McGonagall stood up and barked, “What do you think you’re doing? Put your wands up! Now!”

After they’d put up their wands that formidable lady demanded, “Now, what do you think you’re doing? And don’t try to feed me any ministry twaddle.”

The lead of the group managed, “Attack. The men came here. We’re here to arrest them.”

“Oh, you are, are you?” Headmistress McGonagall, well aware of what had happened at the gates, glanced the room over. “Anyone have any idea what this bampot is blathering about?”

Heads shook all over the room; most of the students had been in the school when the attack happened, and the rest had been either in the Great Hall, catching up after the long weekend, or in their common rooms. It also didn’t hurt that none of them cared if there had been an attack at all.

Headmistress McGonagall nodded her head in satisfaction. “There! Now, out! The lot of you. And inform whoever is in charge that I’ll not have you idiots charging in here, wands drawn, again. If you do ... well, you’ll find out why I was called Quickwand in the old days. Out!” The Aurors fell all over themselves to get out the door. She snorted. “I’ll be in my office, speaking to ... someone. Behave yourselves.” and with that, she marched out the door to go to her office and have what was politely called ‘words’ with Madam Bones. 

Madam was not best pleased either. “Damn it! I swear nepotism will be the death of the service yet. You have no idea what kind of jackasses I’m lumbered with. I’ll have a word with their boss, and his boss. I’m also going to have a few words with Fudge. I’m done with this stupidity. We’re supposed to be fighting a war, not diapering a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears new recruits.” She shut down the floo and left to speak to a few people, then bearded Fudge in his office.

This produced results that she wasn’t expecting. Fudge had been on the receiving end of several howlers from citizens and an unexpectedly nasty letter from the ICW. He’d been told by them to keep his war within the borders of his country or the ICW would intervene, and no one would like the results of that. He’d also been told to bring the British educational levels up to global standards, again, or else. So, when she started to complain, he just told her to submit a new budget and to remove anyone she pleased. All she had to do was replace them with better men, or women.

.

Yusuke led his friends up to the common room and got them settled. He knew that Neville was a bit shaken; Hermione too. They’d tried to eat, but the two had only pushed their food around on the plate. 

“Okay. Neville?” Yusuke waited for Neville to speak.

“Well ... I should be really upset. I think I really hurt that man. Hit him with a Bludgeoning Hex. But all I can feel is relief that it was us instead of some innocent citizens of Hogsmeade.” Neville picked at his cuff for a moment, then forcibly stilled his hand.

Hermione sighed. “Not a problem for me. I’m just sorry that I was in the way.”

Yusuke plucked a cigarette from thin air and handed it to Neville. “Here. You’re good. You did very well. Remember that those men would have killed us, if they had a chance. And we stopped them from hurting us or anyone else. If you choose to attack someone, expect to be hurt in return. I start fights because I’m an asshole. You don’t because you’re a nice man. But you defend yourself and your friends, even strangers at need. Don’t feel bad about knocking that ass in the head. Doesn’t have enough brains for you to scramble ‘em anyway.” He grinned at Neville’s relieved expression and turned to Hermione. “You were not in the way. The second I told that waka to take you away, you went. Some idiots would have protested, gotten in the way and got someone hurt. You just went. Well done.” He nodded once, finishing the conversation. “Service.” An elf popped in and Yusuke ordered snacks and tea.

When the service came, he poured tea and put an assortment of tiny sandwiches on plates and handed them around. They spent the rest of the evening drinking tea, eating snacks and reading.

.

The next morning was going to be one of those days. Hermione woke up a bit early, so she decided to do something ‘different’ with her hair. This resulted in an explosion of frizzies which made her look like she’d stuck her head in a wind tunnel. Her shriek of fury woke both her roommates. 

“Oh, damn it! Merlin’s bloody wig. Lav! Wake up.” Hermione shook Lavender by the shoulder. “Wake up!”

“M ... m’ up. Wa’” Lavender looked at Hermione. “Oh, hell. What on earth have you done to yourself?” She scrambled out of bed and grabbed her robe. “Parv, wake up! Wait ’til you see what Granger has done to her hair.” She eyed Hermione for a moment. “Um ... what have you done?”

Hermione told them about the pamphlet she’d picked up in Diagon Ally. “So ... it had a really easy spell for smoothing hair. At least ...” she handed the pamphlet over. “It seemed easy.”

Parvati looked at the pamphlet. “Um ... no ... just, no. Oh, fiddle. This is one of those damn things that Lockhart wrote. See? Lady Lockerby? Really.”

Hermione started to tear up, she’d been taken in by one of the oldest tricks in the book. The one where the pamphlet was free but the fix was expensive. 

Lavender patted her on the shoulder. “Lucky I got taken in over the summer. Mum knew just what to do and she taught me. So ... but we’re going to be seriously late to breakfast.”

Hermione thought for a moment. “Well. Um ... don’t take advantage or you’ll spoil it. Okay?”

Both girls agreed so Hermione called, “Service, please,” and an elf popped in. “Would you mind terribly bringing us some breakfast?”

The elf looked at her for a moment then hid her face in her hands. Hermione blinked. “I’m sorry, it is not possible.” The elf’s shoulders started to shake, then it mumbled something. “Excuse me?”

“Tippy is being sorry, Miss. Tippy is being trying very hard not to laugh. But Miss is ... Oh, dear.” the elf popped out and returned with a tray covered with bowls of scrambled eggs, gravy, cottage fries and tomatoes and platters of toast, ham, bacon and sausages. There were also small bowls of jam. The elf snickered once, then popped away.

Hermione sighed, then said, “That’s really bad, when the elves laugh at you. Please, fix me?”

So between stuffing their faces and messing with Hermione’s hair, it took the girls nearly two hours to get ready for their day.

.

Neville dragged himself out of bed in time for a quick shower before working out with Yusuke, but Seamus had done something to the showers and the water was ice cold. He swore, got out and tried to figure out what the hell that idiot had done. He couldn’t, so he took the path of greatest resistance and hexed the Irish idiot. Seamus, needless to say, was not amused to be awakened by a stinger to the ass. 

Seamus, for his part, was already sorry he’d tried to put an extra heating charm on the showers. He’d found them a bit cold, so he’d thought he could put a warming charm on the shower floor. Unfortunately, it had rebounded and, being badly cast in the first place, put the water heating charm out of order, so the showers ran ice cold. Neville’s hex put his Irish up and he took after Neville with a couple of ill-advised hexes. 

One of the hexes hit Dean’s curtains and set them on fire. Another hit Ron, who woke up with a yelp. The third hex bounced around the room until Yusuke dispersed it.

“Oi! What the fuck is going on here?” Yusuke had just finished his early run and was not in the mood to deal with the usual squabbling. “Neville?”

Neville sighed and rubbed his face. “Seamus messed up the showers; they’re cold as ice. On top of that, he didn’t tell anyone. So I hexed him. Just a stinger to the ass, but he decided to ...” Neville gestured to where Ron and Dean were putting out the fire. 

Yusuke eyed Neville for a moment. “A stinger? Seriously?”

Neville sulked, mumbling, “Well, I didn’t want to really hurt him.”

“Hn. I see. You’ll be running around Hogwarts' outer ... excuse for a wall ... ten times. And then, I’ll see you at Ken No Ie, doing kata under Remus’ tutelage. Go.” Yusuke was not happy at all. Neville knew better than to get into a squabble with the boys. He was much too powerful and too good to mess around like that.

Neville just bowed, said, “Hai, sensei.” and turned to get dressed. As soon as he had on his gi, he took off. 

Ron eyed Yusuke for a moment then said, “I don’t see why he obeys you like that. What’d you get on him?”

Yusuke snorted. “Nothing. He just knows who’s Kumicho here. As for you...” he turned to Seamus. “What did you think you were doing? A cutting hex? Really?” He went into the showers to see what the damage there was, calling an elf to him on the way. 

He fixed the shower and instructed the elf to report the whole thing to McGonagall; as Head of House, she needed to be informed. He wondered how she was managing to do three jobs at once, then realized that she’d been doing it for years. He assumed that she had help from someone. 

He was wrong. Headmistress McGonagall managed by long hours and delegation. She had one of the prefects help her by grading the multiple-choice quizzes, and all the meals were planned by the head house elf and just submitted to her for approval; she didn’t bother to look at them, she just signed off and didn’t worry about it. After all, the elf was twice her age and had been head elf since before Dippit took over. She eyed the elf with annoyance but asked, kindly enough, “Yes, did you need something?”

The young elf just relayed Yusuke’s message then waited.

Headmistress McGonagall thought for a moment then said, “Tell Miyamoto-san that his punishment of Mr. Longbottom stands. Also tell him that Mr. Finnegan is to clean the showers for the next week, without magic. He is to oversee it. Thank you.”

The elf sighed and popped out to deliver the sure to be unpopular message. 

Yusuke listened, then turned to Seamus. “Any questions?”

Seamus allowed that there were not. He was just glad that he was cleaning the showers, instead of being subjected to the same punishment as Neville.

Neville, for his part, was just glad that Yusuke had decided to be lenient. He could have been sent to run around Black Lake. He’d done it once, with Yusuke, just to see if they could. It had been a hellacious experience. The path was up and down hill and included one area that was decidedly cliff-like. It was also a lot farther than they’d expected. He wasn’t eager to repeat the experience. The kata was sure to be hell; being matched with a were was not something to look forward to. He was just glad that Remusu-aniki liked him.

Then, to top it all, the Daily Prophet arrived. It included a few articles about the task, but mostly there was an above-the-fold full spread of pictures of Yusuke, Hermione and Neville in Japan. It also included pictures of Remus and Sirius, drunk off their asses. Yusuke eyed the paper that one of the other students showed him. He just shrugged, saying, “So? It was New Year’s Eve. Why shouldn’t they get drunk, if they want? They are adults, you know.” Privately, he was pissed as hell and was going to let the whole of Wizarding Britain know it.

Hermione, catching a good look at his face, just sighed. “I do wish some people would catch a clue.”

Yusuke overheard that and snarled, “Some wouldn’t get it if you hit them in the head with a clue-by-four. I’ll deal. Just don’t say I didn’t warn them.” 

Hermione simply offered to bring marshmallows to the party.

.

The rest of the day was quiet, mostly because the three locked themselves into the juku with the intent of studying all day. Yusuke received a report from Shiriusu-oji that made him swear. It seemed that none of the Death Eaters knew where Voldemort was; he communicated with them via floo, untraceable due to several spells on both ends of the connection. The men they had questioned only knew their immediate superior, but Remusu-aniki had run that man down in Knockturn Alley and managed to follow him and listen in on a conversation he’d had with someone Remusu-aniki didn’t know. 

The gist of the conversation had been that there were plans in motion to bring Yusuke to Voldemort. If this could be done, it would happen at the end of the last task. After due consideration, Shiriusu-oji had advised a waiting game. They’d follow up on the leads they had on the mid-level minions and take them out of the game, more as a clean-up in advance than anything else. Besides, it would annoy Fudge; the bounties were still in effect.

Yusuke passed the report to Neville, who was half-asleep; the rigors of running around Hogwarts ten times and an hour under the tutelage of a were had left him exhausted. Neville read, then remarked, “Okay, so you just keep hunting minions until Lord Thingy grabs you, sometime during the last task? Simple.” He chuckled darkly. “Hope they’re ready for you.” 

Hermione was not amused. “So, you’re just going to sit around, doing nothing, until the third task, when you’ll allow yourself to be kidnapped and taken to who-knows-where for who-knows-what? Are you insane?”

Yusuke eyed her for a moment. “I’m quite sane, I assure you. I even have papers to prove that I’m a sociopath rather than a psychopath, and I’m lazy. But I’m not going to sit around doing nothing; I’m going to spend the next ... six weeks? That’s how long until the next task? Anyway, I’m going to be whittling down the numbers of supporters active. There’s still bounties on all of them. Every mark I send in will bring a bounty. And annoy Fudge.” He smirked at that. “Oh, and I’m going to deal with the Daily Prophet. Perhaps a donation to the Quibbler?”

Neville just fell out of his chair, laughing.

Hermione snorted, despite the slight smile that curled her lips. She returned to her book.

Neville returned to his nap.

And Yusuke began to plan his evening.

.

At 7pm Yusuke went down to Ken No Ie. He let Headmistress McGonagall know via elf. She sent back to say that he wasn’t supposed to order the elves. He just winked at the elf, who giggled back. Then he folded to Ken No Ie.

“Tadaima! Shiriusu-oji, where are you?” Yusuke kicked off his boots and ambled around the waka who bent to collect them.

“In here.” Sirius’ voice came from the back of the house somewhere.

Yusuke went back and found Sirius and Remus in the kitchen, standing at the huge farmhouse table. They had a collection of wine bottles, rags, corks and petrol and were happily using them to make petrol presents: Molotov Cocktails.

“Looks like you got the jump on me.” Yusuke eyed their efforts with a pleased smirk.

Remus nodded. “No sense in wasting time. You’ll have supper here, then we’ll all go and express our displeasure.”

Yusuke nodded. “Too bad we can’t use a pound or two of C-4. Nothing like expressing your displeasure with a bit of C-4.”

Sirius shrugged. “Can’t contain the explosion enough. We really don’t want to piss off the neighbors. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

Yusuke agreed, “Too true. A good shield will contain a fire but not an explosion of that magnitude. Got a sledgehammer?”

This seeming abrupt change of subject left Sirius with an arrested expression. “Well, bugger. Never thought of that. What you want it for?”

“Presses.” 

“Ah!” Remus’ wise nod was followed by a bellowed, “Sledgehammer! Now!” a gaki hurried to find one. Everyone was pleased when he came back with three. “Good man.”

Sirius had one additional question. “And why are we doing this ourselves? We’ve got waka and gaki to do it instead?”

Yusuke shrugged. “Bored. And I’m not going to ask my men to do something for me when it’s more of a personal thing than business.”

Sirius agreed, “You’re right. It’s not their place to deal with a personal vendetta. But they’re all sulking at being excluded.”

“Tell ‘em it’s a punishment for not finding information on Voldemort’s location. Spur ‘em on.” Yusuke dismissed this whole thing with a wave of his hand. “Supper?”

A waka replied to this. “Not until you’re all done with that,” he pointed to the mess on the table. “Not cooking around that. Not sanitary. Go now.” He waved them off, so they gathered up their bombs and the makings and went up to Yusuke’s quarters to finalize their plans and clean up. No sense in trying to eat with the stink of petrol on their hands.

Supper was served in typical Yakuza fashion and eaten with the same. It was decided that, in order to provide the bored junior men something to do, they would organize a distraction. They happily left it up to the senior men to figure out what that should be.

After eating Yusuke decided to take the time to clean out his mallet space again. It was becoming a real irritation that he couldn’t seem to keep it clean and organized. He spent several minutes smoking and sulking. Then he collapsed the space, letting all the contents fall out. He wondered how many spaces he could maintain without weakening himself so he created one, then another; a third left him feeling a bit tired so he sat down to see if it was continuous or a result of using a significant amount of magic in such a short time. He found that he recovered quickly so he kept it. Three should do the trick, he decided, so he stuffed his weapons in one and the other got school things. The third got foodstuffs and extra clothing. He decided, from now on, he was just going to banish his trash and garbage. Who the hell cared where it wound up? 

He sat around for the next three hours, gossiping with Remus and Sirius, eating snacks and drinking tea. They also made some tentative plans to deal with the third task. Sirius was of the opinion that some prize would be in the middle of the maze, a prize that was booby-trapped in some way.

Remus frowned, “But how? That’s what I really want to know. What’s he got up his sleeve?”

Yusuke shook his head. “No damn idea. We’ll just have to ...” he stopped dead, a strange expression on his face. “I’ll bet you big money it’s a portkey. He’s going to turn the prize into a portkey and bring me to him. But who, and how? There’s a spy in our ranks, we all know that. But who is it?”

Sirius thought about that. “Snape?”

Remus shook his head. “No. He’s way too smart for that. He declared himself, you know. He hasn’t left Hogwarts since.”

Sirius nodded. “Didn’t think so, but now it’s out and said.”

Yusuke thought carefully. “So, we know there’s a spy. And we have a good idea who it’s not. McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Snape ... in fact, all the Hogwarts staff are out. Beauxbatons only brought three professors, and they’re all vetted, as is Maxime. Durmstrang? Karkaroff? That’s a good prospect. Check him out.”

Remus shrugged. “I could do it. All I have to do is get close enough to smell him. If he smells of polyjuice ... well, that’s a dead giveaway.”

“Right. So ... getting you near to him might be a problem.” Sirius considered that for a few moments. “But, for another day. We’ve got a present to deliver.”

Yusuke issued his orders. “We’ll fold into the alley behind the offices; the rest of you do whatever it is you’re going to do. When you get the diversion set up, let me know. We’ll need about ... how long?” he glanced at Remus.

“Between us, Sirius and I can have the presses beyond repair in ten minutes. That includes breaking all the main gears into pieces.” He nodded at Sirius, who lifted his tea cup in salute.

One of the waka asked, “Okay, Kumicho, but why not do it with a few hexes?”

“Because I don’t want to leave any magical traces that someone might use to identify us.” Yusuke didn’t mind explaining a proper question. He wouldn’t tolerate insolence, but the man had been properly deferential. “So, we go.”

.

Sirius glanced around the alley with disgust; it was full of trash. Some of the things that had just been dumped were what were called end rolls. These were the middle of the massive rolls of newsprint that came from the muggle world. They were what was left on the core that the presses couldn’t run. 

Yusuke examined them then said, “Unroll as much as we have time for; don’t use magic that will leave a trace. Just wad it up and stuff it around things.”

“Right. But...” Remus ran a hand over one. “there’s so much magic on them already that there’s no chance of anyone sorting out who did what and when.”

So they spent the time until the diversion quietly picking the lock on the door and stuffing unrolled wads of paper under and around the presses. 

The diversion started; a bar brawl was always guaranteed to attract the attention of everyone within earshot. After all, who doesn’t like a nice fight to watch?

This covered the noise of Remus and Sirius using the sledgehammers to destroy the main gears on the presses. Yusuke used his to smash bottles of ink, cleaners and anything else that would suffer from a nice hard whack with a hammer.

After creating as much damage as they could, they took turns throwing Molotov Cocktails into various rooms, starting in the press room and working their way up as quickly as they could run. It only took them a few seconds to complete that final task and fold out for home. They sent a waka back to end the brawl and bring the brawlers home too.

They all did a quick cleanup, then, well aware that no Auror would realize anything, went back to watch the fun.

.

They folded in in twos and threes, except for Yusuke, Sirius and Remus―they folded in alone. The groups joined up in the street around the Prophet building. They scattered among the other gawkers, hoping to overhear something useful. This wasn’t as helpful as you might expect, since only one in three spoke enough English to understand anything.

However, this was offset by the fun of watching the Fire Brigade try to put out the fire. This was interesting, as the first thing they did was spray the whole thing with water using Aquamenti. This only spread the fire, as petrol mixed with paraffin floats. Then they did a bit of running around, trying to figure out which hex was used to start the fire. 

By now the whole building was totally engulfed in flames and way beyond saving. But it was pretty. The ink and cleaning solvents made the flames different colors, blue, green, purple and violet. There was a bit of ooo-ing and ah-ing from the crowds over that.

It was well past midnight when the fire finally burned out. Yusuke and Remus went back to Ken No Ie then, but Sirius decided to hang around to see what he could overhear. He returned around one, disgusted that all he’d overheard was that the fire was a spell that no one recognized, so surely it was Voldemort’s work. 

They all went to bed, well satisfied with the evening. Even Yusuke, who had to fold back to the dorm.

The next morning was interesting, in that the morning Prophet didn’t come. Instead everyone who had a subscription got a broad sheet explaining that, since the Prophet building was ashes, publication was suspended for the foreseeable future.

Hermione eyed the paper then opined, “Well, darn,” in a flat tone. 

The only one who seemed to have any idea what had actually happened was Snape. He stopped behind Yusuke to murmur, “Petrol is very hard to wash out of your hair. I’d be a bit more careful in future. Not that it makes any difference to a bunch of wizards. But still.”

Yusuke, startled, snickered into his tea. “Just so, Snape-kyoju.”

Neville glanced over his shoulder at Snape. “We have an essay due ... Thursday?”

“You do.” Snape wondered where this was going. 

“Hermione wrote it down but I’ll swear the date is wrong.” Neville picked up his planner and showed the page to the professor.

Snape shook his head. “It’s right. If you haven’t started it you better get going.”

Neville shrugged easily. “It’s done. I just have to proof it and redo it on parchment. Thank you, sir.” 

Snape bowed slightly, acknowledging the thanks and walked away.

The conjecture and gossip were rife in the halls that day. Everyone had an opinion of what hex, curse or jinx was used. Students drove Professors Flitwick and McGonagall into hiding between classes as they nearly assaulted the two in the halls, questions and opinions flying faster than the two could answer.

No one thought to ask Professor Snape what he thought, not that he’d have told them anyway. He was serenely satisfied to know just for the satisfaction of knowing.

.

Karkaroff was infuriated; his master was just beginning to realize that he was in real trouble unless they got rid of Potter. His plan to capture the brat and turn him was still their best bet. He was sure that, once they got Potter away from his gang, they had it made. All he had to do was hang on until the last task was complete; his reward was sure to be something special. He just wished polyjuice didn’t make everything he ate taste like dragon dung. His fury was because he hadn’t managed to be alone with the little shit long enough to portkey away sooner.

He was sick of trying to remember his fake Russian accent, the robes itched, the fur made his skin crawl and the food was ... Russian. He wanted his own home, his own things and some good old-fashioned English food. But his Master ordered and he obeyed. 

Karkaroff stormed down the corridor to his quarters and ordered tea. At least the Russian tea was good, it was even sweet enough. He drank his tea and worked on his plans to get to the Tri-Wizard cup. All he had to do was alter the portkey destination and wait. There was no way that twit Potter would let someone else claim the prize.

.

Sirius and Remus went over the information they’d managed to get out of the two Death Eaters, trying to figure out where Voldemort had his headquarters. All they could do was guess at this point, although their guesses were very good.

Remus postulated that the hideout had to be off the beaten path, by a significant degree. Sirius was inclined to agree. This meant that the Riddle mansion, decrepit though it was, was out as it was too close to a village. The Gaunt shack was also out, for the same reason. Malfoy Manor was off the grid, closed up and sealed to all but the house elves who were doing repairs. The Dower House was investigated, but turned out to be clean. They went through the list of supporters, but found a reason to cross them all off the list; reasons that ranged from too close to snoopy neighbors to too small to already destroyed by His Pissyness. There were only three places left on the list that were possibilities but there was a big problem with all three; they knew of them, they even remembered knowing where they were, but they couldn’t remember. Remus finally lost his temper and smashed the kotatsu to bits. 

Sirius sighed. “Feel better?”

“No. I want this over. I want to go back to Japan and shake the dust of this country from my feet permanently.” Remus fell into a black sulk and refused to say another word all evening.

“Okay, talk about Black tempers. Damn.” Sirius mended the table, waved the staring gaki away and settled in to just be with his friend.

The report he sent to Yusuke made him swear and storm out of the room to run for an hour. The cold didn’t soothe his temper any either. After his run, Neville met him at the great doors.

“Damn it, Yusuke, you’ll catch your death. Come on. I got the elves to make a tub.” Neville knew that the season was winding down, but it was still cold here in the highlands and Yusuke, while used to Hokkaido, wasn’t happy in the damp cold. “You’ll be bitchy all day.” 

When they reached the dorm, they found that Dean and Seamus were already in the tub. Seamus was happy to inform them that the elves had insisted that they wash thoroughly before getting in.

So they settled into the tub and spent twenty minutes getting Yusuke into a better mood. Seamus told stories of his Irish Grandmother and the clashes she had with their milk goat. Dean told stories of living in the Jamaican neighborhood he’d grown up in. He even told them in patois, which, he informed them, his Mother would murder him for.

But they got out of the tub in a generally better mood and went down to eat lunch.

Hermione was in a good mood, as she had managed to get all her professors to accept their essays when finished, which meant that all their essays were now handed in. 

Neville was also in a very good mood, as he was now finished with the extra classes Professor Sprout had assigned and gotten an O. His Gran had sent a letter praising him and promising that he could go to Japan over the summer to ‘solidify’ their relationship with their counterparts there. 

All in all, everyone was happy, for now.

*  
JDAM - Joint Direct Attack Munition. Your basic satellite-guided, jet-mounted munition. Or, in military parlance, huge fucking bang.


	39. Chapter 39

893.39

[seven weeks between task 2 and 3]

 

Dean eyed the schedule and announced, “The fuckers set the task for the week before we break for summer.”

Hermione eyed the announcement with great disfavor, you might even say hate. “Well, when did the idiots in charge of this mess ever think. Fifth and Seventh years will be cramming for OWLS and NEWTS and all that hoorah will really help that.” her sarcasm was duly noted.

Yusuke shrugged. “Serve the officials right if no one showed up. A maze? I ask you.”

Neville shrugged irritably, “With some of Hagrid’s pets in the nexi. That’s going to be so much fun.” his expression proved he thought the opposite.

Dean snorted. “If I knew how, and was a contestant, I’d skip the whole thing.”

Yusuke’s sudden, blank expression made Hermione wince. “Yusuke, what deviltry are you planning?”

“Not sure. Tell you when I know what I want to do.” he grinned unashamedly, “But only if I can’t figure out how to do it.

Neville shook his head. “Just don’t break the rules.” He smiled in a way that showed too many teeth and not much humor. “Really, really bending them is ok.”

As there was nothing much to do they headed for the juku to work on reports. Hermione had a personal project she was working on. Something she wasn’t sharing, just yet.

after over two hours, Neville tossed his last report onto the desk. “That’s that. Gran made a deal with some jackass in Hong Kong. She’s a real old battle axe but she’s vulnerable to flattery and she’s screwed us to the wall.”

Yusuke held out a hand for the report. “Is the contract in there?”

“Yes.” Neville rubbed his face, tiredly wondering how he was going to fix this one.

Yusuke read, made notes then announced, “I’ll ask Shiriusu-oji to look into it. It looks like a strong arm job to me. If he says, I’ll ask Chichi if I can go break some heads. You don’t need to put up with this shit. Who said she had right of parley anyway.”

Hermione snickered. “You sound like a pirate. Right of parley?”

Yusuke shrugged. “I don’t know the English for it.”

Hermione thought for a moment, “Tell me in Japanese.”

“Kōshō-ryoku”

“Bargaining power. The right to make a deal for someone else.” Hermione turned her attention back to her book.

“Ok. So. Neville?” Yusuke turned back to Neville.

“I don’t know. She sure shouldn’t have it. I’ll have to contact my lawyer and find out if I can get out of this disaster.” Neville frowned, the chances that his grandmother was getting senile were slim but there. He hoped not.

“Don’t worry until it’s time.” Yusuke finished his letter and motioned to a waiting gaki. “Take it to Shiriusu-wakagashira.” the gaki received the letter with both hands, bowed, tucked the letter into an inner pocket and left. Yusuke watched him go then grumbled, “Post boxes are still unreliable. Damn Dumbledore anyway.”

Hermione glanced up from her book, nodded then said, “And there’s no way to secure them. Dumbledore just asks for a favor and people fall all over themselves to ‘fix’ things for him. Rokudenashi!”

Yusuke snickered then returned, “Well, I do believe his parents were married but ... I take your point. It’s bad when some Kuso jijī cons government departments into violating the law and their own regulations.”

Neville agreed. “Yeah, and Dumbledore could flimflam Lockhart. And that’s sayin’ something.”

Hermione interrupted, carefully, “But ... well ... um ... it’s signed. The contract, I mean. So what can you do about it?”

Yusuke shrugged. “In China, Japan and several other countries, magical contracts are always between individuals, not companies. So ... kill the contractee and the contract is void. Not a problem.”

Neville blinked, “You’d do that?”

Yusuke nodded. “For you ... I would. Family. Hermione. No one else.” He shrugged and settled down to smoke and think.

Hermione eyed him for a moment then went back to her book. She had some ideas she was working on. She was sure that Miyamoto Musashi would approve.

Neville also went back to his work. He had some plans for a new green house, but they were dependent on getting mother plants from Japan. He was sure that Yusuke would help, as long as those plans didn’t infringe on his profits. 

A soft tap on the door attracted the attention of the gaki. One got up, tossing his manga onto the table and opened it. “Hai?”

Severus Snape stood outside the door. “I’d like a word with the No Wakai Omo, Anata ga ki ni shinai baai.”

The gaki smiled at the broken Japanese, revealing several gold teeth. “Sure, Bosu. Hairu.” His gesture led Snape into the room while a pointing finger indicated Yusuke. “Miyamoto-kumicho.”

Yusuke motioned to a chair, one of the gaki got it and brought it over to Yusuke’s desk. “Sit, please. How may I help you?”

Snape rubbed his face then said, “I need to get out of England, Great Britain. I’m basically a prisoner here at Hogwarts. If I leave, Voldemort will kill me. If I don’t, I’ll quite possibly go mad. Dumbledore is engaged in a running ... argument ... I wouldn’t dignify it with the term battle ... with Minerva and Hogwarts herself.” He sounded as tired as he looked. “I just want out.”

Yusuke eyed him for a moment. “I thought that you wanted to open an apothecary.”

Snape nodded. “When this ridiculous war is over.” he smirked at Yusuke. “But I never said I wanted to open it here in Britain. I’m afraid my childhood mistake will keep me from opening a shop ... ever. However, I’ve been informed that my old master, the potion master that took me as an apprentice, is retiring soon. I’m going to ask him if I can buy him out. And that’s the reason I’m here.”

Yusuke made a ‘go on’ gesture. A gaki placed a tea tray on the corner of the desk and poured tea. No one was sure how they knew what type of tray Yusuke wanted, but they did. And none of them were telling. 

Snape sipped the offered tea for a moment then continued. “I can’t get a loan from Gringotts, or anywhere else for that matter. I was hoping you could see your way clear to loan me the purchase price of the shop.”

“And in return?” Yusuke knew he was going to give the loan, he just wanted to find out what boot Snape was willing to offer.

“First bid on any new discoveries using Basilisk.” Snape was so tired of bargaining with everyone for everything that he just put all his cards on the table and sat back.

Yusuke blinked once. “Well, there goes all my fun.” he sipped his tea. “Ok, I’ll make you the loan, how much do you need?””

Snape pulled a couple of parchments out of his robes and handed them to Yusuke. It was a complete offer outlining everything he needed and everything he offered.

Yusuke read the parchment, nodded and said, “Deal.” He tapped one finger on the desk. “You will respect me. You will not snark at me. I don’t care how you treat your subordinates but I will give you some advice. Don’t disrespect them, you’d be surprised how much damage someone who is mad at you can do and cover it up by claiming it was an accident, or mistake. Half the idiocy you see is nerves or ire.” he wrote something on a piece of rice paper, tucked it into a Japanese style envelope and handed it over. “Here. This Bunsho will get you what you need to get started. Pay for the apothecary at once, so the old man won’t change his mind on you. The rest can wait until the end of term.” Snape tucked the document away. “Now that that is taken care of. Karkaroff feels ... wrong. What’s going on with him?”

Snape settled back to think while he finished his tea. Yusuke turned his attention to his work and waited patiently.

Finally Snape admitted, “I’m not sure. He feels off to me too. I’ll keep an eye on him for awhile, if you like.”

“I would. He makes me uncomfortable.” Yusuke’s shark like smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Snape couldn’t resist. “And what makes you uncomfortable?”

“Dies.” 

Snape managed to hide his flinch. “I see.” He got up, bowed carefully and left, happy that he’d managed to keep his tongue between his teeth and his attitude to himself. He’d gotten what he wanted and keeping an eye on Karkaroff for Miyamoto-san was no hardship, he was doing that anyway.

Hermione glanced up from her research. “Karkaroff?” 

Neville agreed with Yusuke. “Something’s off about him, but I can’t figure out what.”

Hermione thought for a moment. “His English is too good. He doesn’t make the common mistake that many ESL’s do.” At the puzzled looks she motioned to a gaki. 

The man got up and came over. Hermione said, “Translate this.” She handed him a book in Kanji.

“Ok, Eigo not go good.” he cleared his throat, then started his translation. It was rather painful as he made every mistake in the book in the first sentence.

Hermione stopped him, thanked him and let him retreat to his place. “You’ll notice that he got his verb tenses mixed, word order wrong and his pronunciation is all over the place.” she smiled at the uncomfortable man and said, “Thank you. I’ll be happy to work with you later.” he smiled and bowed. “So ... Karkaroff is Russian, but he doesn’t make any of the mistakes that you’d expect from a non-English-born speaker.” her brow furrowed. “And ... I just realized ... he doesn’t bow properly.”

Neville blinked. “He does. I’ve seen him. Very graceful.”

Yusuke sat up straight. “He ... Nebiru-kun, he does not bow properly ... for a Russian.”

After a bit of discussion Yusuke ordered one of the gaki to get them a Russian. Hermione added, “And don’t scare them half to death. Use some discretion.”

The gaki barked, “Hai! Reifujin.” and left.

Hermione sighed. “I wish they’d quit calling me ‘noble lady’ I’m not.”

Yusuke gave her a sharp look then said, “You are if I say you are.” his cold tone shut her up.

It wasn’t long before the gaki returned with a Durmstrang student. He looked to be about a fourth year. He looked around with interest, obviously not worried.

Hermione nodded to him. “How’s your English?”

“Fair. You need? Please?” He nodded politely.

Neville took over, well aware that Hermione would ramble for minutes on end before she got to the point. “We’ve a bet on. Would you bow for us please.”

The boy blinked at this odd request but obediently bowed. Now his bow was completely different from English style. He snapped up right, nearly at attention, gave a little hop to lift his heels off the floor, clicked them together and bowed at the same time. It was a very sharp, military sort of bow.

Hermione offered him a plate of cookies and a cup of tea as reward. “Here, sit for a bit, in case we need you again.”

“Da, I stay. Tank you.” he took his treats to the sitting area and settled into one of the comfortable chairs there.

Hermione then turned her eyes to Neville, “Bow, kudasai.” Yusuke snickered. “What?”

Neville gave Yusuke a warning look but got up and bowed, English style. Neville stood, stepped back half a step on his left foot then bent at the waist with his right hand holding his robes so they wouldn’t fall forward, he bowed his head a bit more then straightened up.

Hermione pointed. “See! That’s the way Karkaroff bows. Very English. Not Russian at all. So what’s going on?”

The rapid conversation in a mix of Japanese and English confused the young Russian so he stood and said, “I go now? You need?”

Yusuke bowed to him, Japanese style and replied, “No, thank you so much for your help. Please.” he dumped another plate of cookies into a napkin, tied it into a carry bag and led the boy to the door. He handed the bag over, bowed again and shut the door on his back.

As he turned he said, “I see what you mean. And that’s part of what is bothering me. I just realized it when I saw the different bows together. And he ... smells funny. And not in a ha-ha sort of way. But I can’t pinpoint that either.”

Hermione frowned at that. “I didn’t notice any smell in particular but I have never been that close to him. Perhaps Professor Snape?”

“Maybe. I’ll make some sort of excuse to speak to him in a week or so. It’ll keep until then.” He picked up a report from Sirius. “As to anything else. I have a few things that I’ll need to do within the next week or so. It would be helpful if you, Neville, would help cover for me. And Hermione?” She eyed him warily. “I need you to stay out of it. Your need to know everything about everything is still annoyingly obvious.”

Hermione nodded. “I am trying, you know. It’s just that everything is so ... interesting.”

Yusuke gave her one of his rare sweet smiles. “And that is part of your charm. You just need to be a bit more ... aware? There are times when it’s appropriate and times when it is not. You aren’t that good at ... timing, for lack of a better term.”

Hermione sighed. “but I am trying.”

“You are. Try harder.” Yusuke went back to his planning.

A gaki distracted Hermione from her hurt feelings with a plate of her favorite sweets and she went back to her work.

Neville smiled at the man, held up his cup and received a fresh pot of tea. He mumbled his thanks as he also returned to his work.

.

Sirius sighed and rubbed his face. “Remus, Miyamoto-dono is not happy. He wants the Death Eaters marginalized a-sap. I’m inclined to agree with him. Nanashi has way too many followers still. But ... how?”

Remus thought for a bit. “Well, there’s that pub in Short Way, pretty rough place. I’ve had reports that over half the patrons are marked, the rest are sympathizers. Or Quislings. A counter raid wouldn’t go amiss.”

“I think you’re right. And Yusuke has to be leader.” Sirius didn’t like this. He knew it was part and parcel of the way things worked, but he didn’t have to like it. 

Remus nodded. “Right. But ... we’ll go along with him. After all, I’m just dumb muscle and you’re his Godfather.” Remus’ smile was just short of feral. 

Sirius considered all the angles then allowed, “I’ll write him. We still having post problems?”

Remus snarled, curling his lip in a very wolf like way. “We are. Dumbledore just won’t give up. We’ve fixed it several times. Every time we think we’ve put a stop to it, it happens again. I don’t trust the post, or owls. The only thing I trust is our own men. Miyamoto-dono is pissed. I’m ... irritated. And you?”

“Just short of homicidal. I’ll be glad when we can leave for Japan and stay.” Sirius finished his letter then handed it off to the man who would deliver it. He’d been very pleased to find that the potion and spell had taught him not only language but writing. He had had to do quite a bit of practice, but that hadn’t been the bother he’d anticipated.

After another round of tea they went their separate ways. Remus to ask a few questions of the Neighborhood Watch in Knockturn Alley and Sirius to hang around in Short Way to get a feel for the area.

.

Yusuke received the note from Sirius at lunch. The group, now referred to as the Gumi by everyone, had been eating in the Great Hall more. Hermione had reminded the two boys that Headmistress McGonagall had been very lenient with them as they were on selfstudy. She’d also remarked that the lady was beginning to give them the fisheye. Yusuke agreed that they needed to pick their battles.

Beside that, it was just plain rude to ignore the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. 

Neville and Hermione agreed with Yusuke that the Russian group was a lot more fun than the French. So they had decided that, as of the end of the second tasks drunken revelry they would eat one meal each day in the Great Hall. They cast dice to see which meal they would start with, then it would be a different meal each day, in rotation. So they were eating lunch in the Great Hall today.

Yusuke opened the note and started to read it. Draco saw this as his opportunity to have his revenge on Yusuke for all the insult heaped on his head. He eased up behind Yusuke and grabbed the note out of his hand.

this resulted in Yusuke completely loosing his temper. He was insulted that anyone would take something out of his hand and embarrassed that he’d been caught off guard like some Atarashī sakana. He stood up and turned around. “Give it.” he held out his hand.

“No. What is this chicken scratch? Some sort of secret code? You passing messages to your criminal friends?” Draco eyed the rice paper with disgust. “It’s not even written on proper parchment.”

Hermione grabbed Neville before he could get involved. ‘No, let it be. Draco needs to learn not to mess with us.”

Neville just grumbled back. “Not even one punch?”

The rest of the table eased away from the upcoming conflict. Ron was heard to say, “Even I’m not stupid enough to pull a stunt like that.”

Seamus Finnegan added, “Ever heard of a two hit fight?” he glanced around, smirked then said, “Yusuke hits Draco, Draco hits the floor. Fight over.”

But, even though he was furious, Yusuke was well aware that he’d kill Draco outright in a real fight. So he let Draco take the first swing, prompted by his snatching the paper back with a shoulder to the chest for good measure. he could always excuse the shoulder bump as an accident.

Draco obliged by trying to punch Yusuke in the face and got slapped for his troubles. Yusuke grabbed him by the front of his robes and shook him. “Stop that. Do you really want another spanking?”

Draco continued to struggle futilely, until Headmistress McGonagall stormed up. “That will be quite enough of that, Mr Malfoy. I saw the whole thing from the head table. Mr Miyamoto, as the offended party, I can’t ask you to bring him to the Head’s Office but ...” She looked around. “Mr Longbottom, you’ll do. Come along.”

Neville stood up, smirked at Draco and snatched him out of Yusuke’s hands. “Got him. Let’s go.”

Draco decided that Neville was weak enough that he could either out fight him or cow him. He tried to pull his arm out of Neville’s hand. He only succeeded in bruising his biceps and annoying Neville.

Neville gave Draco a shake, much like one would a recalcitrant toddler. “Stop that. You’ll only irritate me. Come on.” Neville dragged Draco, protesting vocally, after Headmistress McGonagall and Yusuke.

It didn’t take long to reach the office and get up the stairs. Headmistress McGonagall had gotten rid of the stupid password silliness, it was, after all, only intended for times of war. Dumbledore had thought it cute, Headmistress McGonagall had more to worry about. Like this idiocy.

“Well? Si’ doon. I’m no puttin’ oop wi’ this ...” she took a deep breath, obviously to calm herself. “Well. Mr. Malfoy. Just exactly what the devil did you think you’d accomplish by snatching Mr. Miyamoto’s mail from his hand. Ahm skunnered if I ken.”

Yusuke hid twitching lips behind a fan. 

Neville just rolled his eyes. He decided to stay and watch the show so he eased into a position behind and to one side of Yusuke, out of McGonagall’s line of sight.

Draco jerked his robes back into order, cleared his throat, started to say something then stopped. No one had any doubt what he was about to say, but his Father wasn’t going to help him this time. Or any time in the near future. He was on his own.

That realization made his knees go weak, so weak that he staggered. A flick of McGonagall's wand brought a chair to bump against the back of his knees and he sat down, hard.

“Now, I’m not beating around the bush, nor watching my language. Mr. Malfoy, you are the damnedest bampot it has ever been my misfortune to deal with. And that includes all four Marauders and The Twins. You seem to have some sort of blind spot where Mr. Miyamoto is concerned. You’re down right suicidal in that regard.”

She was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. After glancing at a small paperweight, she called, “Come in, Severus.”

Severus Snape was not a happy man and he wasn’t shy about saying so. “Well, Draco, turn my back for two seconds and you manage to ...” he took a deep breath. “Damn it.”

Yusuke settled in his chair, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee. “Please, Snape-kyōju, do not distress yourself. I will not ask for yubitsumi ...” his smile was tight. “it’s not ... suitable. But some punishment is necessary.” Yusuke frowned in thought.

Professor Snape eyed Draco for a moment then announced, “Detention every evening for the rest of the term. With me.”

Draco brightened noticeably. Snape scowled him into submission. He glowered at his godson with irritation. “You will clean caldrons, chop what I tell you to and pickle everything for next year. Without magic.” 

Draco opened his mouth then shut it, he did it several more times, looking so much like a carp that Yusuke grinned at Headmistress McGonagall.

It was obvious that Draco was trying to form some protest so Yusuke remarked, “Or I could take him to Japan where he could help at my family compound until I feel the insult is erased. In the kitchens, or perhaps, as a messenger.” he bowed to McGonagall. “It’s really up to you.”

Headmistress McGonagall was not disposed to be forgiving. “I’m not sure. He’s been warned and warned. Dumbledore saw to that. His family has fled the country to get away from That Man and are completely out of touch. I’m a bit reluctant to expel him, which is what he deserves, as that would leave him at loose ends and bound for trouble. Severus?”

Professor Snape could see exactly where this was leading. He didn’t object, particularly, the idiot was his godson after all. “I’ll consider it. There will be ... requirements.”

A nod saw him continue. “He will be treated as my apprentice. And believe me ...” he cast a warning look at Draco. “it will be anything but pleasant.” He turned to look at Yusuke. “I trust that this will be acceptable?”

Yusuke eyed Draco, glanced over his shoulder at Neville then shrugged in his elegant way. “I believe so. But ... do put a leash on that puppy. Next time he troubles me will be the last.”

Snape bowed gracefully then grabbed Draco by the ear and hauled him to his feet. “You’ll be apprenticed to me and be glad of it. I’ll have the papers made up by five and sent to your father. Lucius will sign, or at least you better hope he does. If he doesn’t ... well, let’s not contemplate that just yet.”

Yusuke smirked at Draco then offered, “If Malfoy-san won’t sign the papers, I can arrange to ... sponsor him ... in Japan. I’m thinking kitchens, but I’m wondering how good he is at poisoning.”

Headmistress McGonagall announced, “I’m the final authority here and I’ll say what’s to be done.” She glowered around for a moment then continued. “As Severus suggested ... Detention for the rest of the term. No Hogsmead visits. His wand will stay boxed except for classes. You, Severus, will keep him occupied even when he’s not in detention. And ... While I appreciate your offer Mr Miyamoto, no travel for any reason.” she glanced down at her desk then remembered, “Yes! And you will not attend the third task. I’ll find something for you to do instead. Perhaps in the kitchens.”

Draco let out a yelp, started to say something then yelped again as Snape twisted his ear. “Enough! Just be glad Miyamoto-san refused yubitsumi. And in case you don’t know. He could have demanded that you cut off a finger. I’m sure the Ministry would have been pleased to agree.” He gave Draco’s ear a vicious yank. “Come.” 

Draco whined as Snape hauled him to the door but he didn’t struggle nor pull away.

Yusuke stood up, bowed to Headmistress McGonagall then said, “I may be out of school for a week. Ministry business. I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”

McGonagall just gave him the fish eye. “As long as you’re up to date on your assignments, I don’t want to hear about it.” She gave him a tight smile and turned to the never ending paper work. 

Yusuke bowed again and left.

.

Sirius eyed the last of the reports then said, “Well, that tears it. We’ll have that mess cleared out in a week. But I’ll bet you anything you want that we miss some of the rats. And Nanashi hasn’t left his priest’s hole in months.”

Remus rubbed his face. “I really wonder why. Do you think ... wiser heads, if such a thing exists within his ranks ... have managed to put a leash on that rabid dog?”

“Maybe. But ...” Sirius sighed and sipped his tea. “Not sure. We can’t find him, which means that he’s hidden. But, is he hiding? Or is someone hiding him? If someone else is hiding him, does he know it? Is he cooperating? Or is he just so crazy than he’d oblivious?”

“Yeah. Questions that need answers. But how to get them.” Remus finished his tea. “I’m out and about again.”

“Ok, but keep in close touch. I wouldn’t put it past that bunch of idiots to grab you.” Sirius gave Remus a concerned glance.

Remus let gold seep into his eyes then smiled in a truly horrific way. “I think I hope they do.”

Sirius shook his head, “Moony! No eating Death Eaters. You know they give you indigestion.” his teasing tone made Remus chuckle as he walked away.

Remus spent the rest of the day hanging around Knockturn Alley and Short Way, observing the comings and goings of ‘people of interest’. Most of the inhabitants of the area ignored him, the ones who didn’t were discrete about asking if he needed any help with anything. 

Sirius did the same thing in a different location, watching the comings and goings in a small pub in an out of the way village in the Low Lands. The town was mostly magical, with the rest of the population being either squibs or the children thereof. There was some suspicion that Voldemort was using a local mansion, abandoned during the muggle Depression, as a halfway point to his true headquarters. 

After midnight, Sirius and Remus met in the library to compare notes.

Sirius sipped his brandy then announced, “I’ve got a line on several men we need to take out. We’re not going to find Nanashi’s headquarters, I’m afraid.”

Remus nodded, sipping his own brandy. “You’re right. ... Yusuke will want to do the dirty himself. Love that boy, but he’s got to learn to delegate more.”

Sirius snorted. “Delegate, my ass. He just wants to keep us from having to do the Ministry’s dirty work. He knows how we feel about it. I’ll tag his targets for him.”

Remus grumbled. “But I want in on a few kills. I’m broke.”

Sirius eyed his friend for a moment. “You get paid. Where’s it going?”

“Lost a bet. I’ll know better next time. And I only get paid on the quarter. Just like you, so how come you’re not broke?”

Sirius snickered, “Black Family secret.” 

Remus just swatted him on the shoulder. “Prat.”

“I am. Sad, isn’t it?” 

They both laughed then Remus went on to say that he’d lost a bet with Miyamoto Masa and found out, when he paid off the bet, that all bet money went to charity. So he didn’t mind that much, but he did say that he wasn’t betting with any Miyamoto ever again.

.

Yusuke opened the messenger packet that the waka handed him. They were eating breakfast in the Great Hall today so the waka started to leave. Yusuke motioned with one hand. “Stay a bit. Sit there.” he pointed to the empty seat across from him. “I might need to send a reply.”

One of the gaki on duty eyed the waka with disfavor but ducked his head when the oldest growled at him. 

Yusuke eyed the men. “I don’t want you running all over, I might need one of you for something else. Shut it.”

He was truly tired of refereeing squabbles between low level men who jealously tried to one up each other. It was part of his job but it did get annoying, especially when he had to separate the same men over and over again. He was seriously considering putting one or two in corners like naughty toddlers.

He pushed various dishes close to the man with a wave of his hand, reading over the report as he did so. 

When he was finished, he pulled some paper and a writing box out of wizard space and wrote a quick note to Remus. “Give this to Remusu-aniki. Thank you.” 

The waka gulped down the last of his food, took the note and folded away, right from the Great Hall. 

Hermione looked up from her bacon and eggs, she’d decided on English today, and remarked, “I don’t want to know what you’re all up to but, if you need some help with a spell or something, let me know. Ok?”

Yusuke nodded. “Thanks. I will.”

Neville eyed Yusuke for a moment then grumbled, “If you think I’m letting you go off with those two alone, you’re nuts. Either call me or I’ll hunt you down. Got me?”

“Yeah, I do. Smoke?” Yusuke offered a cigaret.

“No, not done with my food yet. Take you up later.” Neville returned to shoveling rice into his mouth. He started to say something else but stopped, his mouth was still full and they’d all learned better than to speak around a mouthful of food, after Hermione started unceremoniously casting stinging hexes at them.

A few moments later, Neville finished his tea to clear his mouth then took the cigaret out of Yusuke’s mouth and started smoking it. “Ok, what’s going on that I have to hurry my meal. And don’t go all yakuza on me, either.”

Yusuke just smirked, got himself a new cigaret and said, “Juku. With privacy Ofuda.”

They headed off, striding through the few students in the corridors like they weren’t there. The waka and gaki following just grinned and picked up a few students who’d tripped or slipped getting out of the way.

Hermione led the way into the juku, thinking as she did so that the room hadn’t changed that much from the first day. There were still four desks, a comfortable seating area, two walls of blackboards and two large ‘project’ tables. But now, one desk was butted up against the wall beside the door so that people seeking entrance had to walk between the open door and the desk. The other change was that one of the project tables had been moved to the corner behind the desk and was now used by the gaki. 

Hermione had wandered over once, in the early days of the arrangement and picked up a magazine. One of the gaki had immediately snatched it out of her hand, but not before she got an eye full of ‘girly bits’. It seemed the only thing they read was porn and manga, or manga porn. But, if you wanted tea, snacks, new pens or anything else, they fell all over themselves to provide.

Yusuke eyed the table and desk then ordered, “Bakadeshi, clean that. You all live like pigs.” He went to his desk and started making ofuda, which he tossed at the door the second they were done.

The gaki scrambled to stack the magazines and manga neatly, clear away all the dirty dishes and cups and, in general, clear up the mess. They also went into a frenzy of cleaning. Every flat surface was dusted and polished and the floor mopped and holy stoned. Hermione had objected to this the first time it happened but shut up when Yusuke just eyed her in disgust and demanded, “Exactly what the hell else should they be doing, if they’re not running errands? Sit around and think up trouble to get into?”

She’d shut up at that, mumbling, “And why didn’t I think of that? And why didn’t McGonagall do something like that to the Twins?” she’d stuck her nose in a book, planning ahead, she hoped.

Now she just cleaned her own desk in preparation. She eyed Yusuke, who smiled at her in that particularly sweet way he had when he wanted something. She raised one eyebrow and said, “Yes? You need something?”

Yusuke grinned at Hermione. “All I need is a simple spell. A way to tag someone so I can follow them.”

Hermione scowled at him. “I thought you had one.”

“I do. But it relies on an ofuda and, for some reason I don’t understand, they don’t work well here.” He frowned at the widow as If it had offended him in some way.

Neville offered. “Too damp and rainy in this part of the world. In Japan they don’t get wet, here they get wet and dissolve. But ... I bet Remus or Sirius knows a tagging spell. Aurors use them all the time. They’re easy to detect, if you suspect you’ve been tagged. Most of the minions Nanashi has left aren't that bright or I miss my guess. Send down and ask someone.”

Yusuke brightened. “Ok. But, Hermione, keep looking for something ... out of the ordinary. Something that isn’t that easy to detect. Yes?”

“Ok. I’m on it.” Hermione turned to her beloved books for the answer than her friend needed.

Neville eyed Yusuke for a moment then announced, “You’ve got something nasty up your sleeve. I’m wondering what it is.”

Yusuke produced two cigarets, gave one to Neville then smoked his own for a moment. “The last task is ... five weeks away. Nanashi has some plan to get to me. I’m thinking I should let him succeed. Shiriusu-Oji and Remusu-aniki have tried to find a hint of where he is. I’ve had my ear to the ground. I’ve paid bribes and rewards and still ... nothing.” he banished his cigaret and the ash. “I’m going to see Snape-Kyōju and see what he’s got.”

Neville waved his cigaret, announcing, “Ok, I’m still working on my offer.”

Hermione absently flapped a hand in Yusuke’s general direction. “Bye.”

.

Yusuke found Snape before he expected to. He met the professor as he was making rounds.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” Snape managed an unthreatening smile.

Yusuke shrugged. “Looking for you. Karkaroff?”

“Not. Karkaroff, I mean. I’m not sure who it is. He’s British. But that’s all I can figure out.” Snape scowled.

“How’s he doing this?” Yusuke frowned. He knew of several spells that could make minor changes in appearance and he used them fairly regularly.

“Pollyjuice Potion. I recognize the smell. But I don’t know who it really is, or how they’re managing to get hold of that amount of Pollyjuice. I will though.” Snape tugged his sleeves down, a sign that he was upset.

“Keep an eye on them but don’t do anything, unless they threaten the school or students. I’m inclined to let them be ... for now. I have a good idea what they’re up to. If I’m right, they’ll lead me right to Nanashi and thats the end of him.” Yusuke’s slight smile was anything but reassuring to the professor.

“So, you’re just going to let some unknown person take to to some unknown place and hope for the best?” Snape’s expression was more the skeptical.

“Yes. Somewhat like a fisherman finding a monster in his net. Not a good thing. For them. Good night.” Yusuke just turned and walked away.

Snape ground his teeth in frustration. That boy was very dangerous, but he wondered if Yusuke realized how very dangerous Voldemort and his Inner Circle could be.

Yusuke thought about what to do next and realized that he really needed to consult with his advisors. Remusu-aniki or Shiriusu-oji would know what really needed to be done. 

Half an hour later he was seated in the large lounge, drinking Scotch with his two advisers and reading the newest reports. When he finished he stacked the folders and slapped them into a relatively neat pile. 

“Well, that’s ... not that helpful. Who’s left in the Inner Circle?” Yusuke sipped his scotch.

“Ok. The LeStrange brothers, the Carrows and Thorfinn Rowle. Malfoy took off. Moony got Mulciber and I got Travers. There’s a couple of others whose names I don’t know. And that Russian ... um ...” Sirius checked a paper. “Dolohov.” 

Yusuke nodded. “I see. Well, what about midlevel?”

“Not many of those left either. Maybe twenty-five to thirty. And they all are split up into small cells with contact only with five or so lower level. What’s left of them.” he smirked for a moment. “So, we’ve just about broken their back. The big clean up will deal them a death blow as an organization. If we can gack half of them, the Death Eaters are done. We’ll pick off the stragglers as we identify them.” Sirius glance at Remus.

Remus shrugged. “That won’t be that much of a problem. The leftovers are mostly criminals anyway. They’ll do something stupid and get picked up by Aurors. The DMLE has instigated a mandatory strip search on all new arrestees. If they have a Dark Mark that’s an added 10 years to any sentence.” He showed his teeth. “Amazing what you can force through the Wizangamot with the Potter and Black seats.”

Sirius snickered, “Not to mention a bit of grease and a sneering were on your side.”

Yusuke laughed. “You listen well. Father has good advice.”

“He does. Plus the Black reputation.” Sirius nodded wisely.

Yusuke thought about that for a moment then allowed, “Not to mention the fact that you have at least a dozen waka with you at any one time.”

Remus lifted his glass in salute. “There is that.”

Sirius motioned to a waka to take the paper work away. “Get that, will you? Now, no more scotch. We don’t want to be drunk. The raid needs to be surgical in nature.”

Yusuke raised one eyebrow. “The raid is tonight?”

“Forgot to mention that there’s a full meeting tonight, did I?”

“Ya think?” Yusuke eyed Sirius for a moment then shrugged. “Never mind. I’m ready when you are.”

.

The raid was quick, violent and bloody.

Yusuke had decided to take all the intel that Remus and Sirius had gathered and plan an attack that would trap as many DE’s as possible. They’d let a few slip with trackers on them, but no one held much real hope that they’d be able to follow any of them. They were stripping off the tracker somehow. Sirius was of the opinion that the way they apparated several times before losing it was somehow responsible. 

The plan was simple, but not that easy. They were going to wait until the meeting was in full swing then surround the pub and raid it. 

Remus only had one objection, “How are we going to hide our magical signatures?”

Yusuke gave him a feral grin that would have scared Greyback, if he was still alive. “Who said anything about magic? This ministry can only trace spells, not shields. We’ll shield against magical attack and do the rest the old fashioned way. By hand.”

Remus glanced at Sirius who just shrugged in that annoying way of his. “Ok. By hand. Fine.”

Sirius just handed him a bastard sword. “This do?”

“Fine.” Remus weighed the thing in his hand. “I just hope I don’t break it.”

Sirius snorted. “It’s best steel.”

“Werewolf.” Remus’ single word made Sirius blink for a moment. “Never mind. I just don’t want to destroy a family heirloom or something.”

Sirius grinned. “Well, since it’s not ... have fun. Let’s go.”

It didn’t take them long to get into their assigned positions. Sirius made a quick check to make sure all the waka were where they were supposed to be. They were, so everyone settled down to wait for the signal.

They had to wait nearly three hours before the meeting was in full swing. This included a ‘few’ drinks and a lot of bragging about what they’d do if they were in charge. Since each person was a step or two down from the inner circle, it was mostly hot air and hope. 

It was nearly 1am when the last of the expected people arrived. Yusuke would have attacked earlier but these were the people that Sirius had marked as most likely to go straight to Voldemort. They were tagged as they went in the door.

The second the last one went in the door, Remus whistled. This brought all the men out of their hiding places. Some blocked the front door, others the back; still others set themselves to watch the ground floor windows. The upper windows were all bared to keep robbers out, effectively keeping the residents in as well. This took up two-thirds of the task force.

The rest of the group charged the meeting room, which was the banquet hall that took up half the ground floor of the pub. The main combatants were Remus, Sirius, Yusuke and three older waka. They didn’t need that many men in an enclosed area like the back banquet/meeting room; they’d just get in each others way.

The door was beside the end of the bar and let into a short hall then into the room. There was another door on the other side of the room that let into the alley behind the pub. Four windows on each end were watched by the waka guarding the upper floor windows. The long sides of the room had no windows, being taken up with another bar and service areas.

The doors were blocked after the six men entered but that didn’t mean that no one could get out as they didn’t bother to cast an anti-apparition or portkey shield . Orders were that anyone who actually managed to fight their way out were to be evaluated against a set of parameters that Remus, Sirius and Yusuke agreed on, tagged and allowed to go. Anyone who didn’t fit, didn’t make it.

The fight didn’t take that long, Remus and Sirius stood back to back, swords in hand and waited for the action to come to them. Their shields were very strong and it wasn’t long before the DE’s realized their curses weren’t doing any good and they tried attacking physically. 

Yusuke was even less subtile. He just stuck the first warm body not friendly with his sword and continued across the room. He left a swath of bodies and body parts behind him. Men and women ran, screaming, from him. He made it to the other side of the room covered in blood, none of it his.

Sirius found himself guarding Remus’ back, more than doing any actual attacking.

Remus used his were strength to hack his assailants to bits, body parts flying in every direction. The two men blocked the front entrance to the room, effectively cutting off escape in that direction. Both forgot that they were supposed to let someone escape in one piece, more or less.

Yusuke, however, didn’t. He glanced around, flicking blood off his sword, and pinpointed three people that were tagged. They were near the back door and doing their best to shove the men ahead of them out of the way. He allowed two of the three to make it to the front. He incapacitated the last one just enough to hold him for later questioning.

While he’d been doing that, Yusuke’s waka had been cleaning up around the edges. They’d given the coupe d’ grace to any who where still alive, picked up three who were marked as captive and backed up Remus and Sirius at need. Not that that had been necessary.

The entire battle took less than five minutes, left most of the DE’s dead or badly wounded and made a mess.

Yusuke looked around, coming down from his combat hight with an almost audible ‘thunk’. “Ok what do we have worth having?”

Remus glanced around, took a deep breath, tossed the hilt of the broken sword over his shoulder and said, “Told you. So ... we have three prisoners to question. High mid level but I’ll bet you anything they don’t know shit.”

Sirius nodded. “Never mind the damn sword. I’ll deal with the blacksmith. And ... you’re right about the prisoners. We’ll sweat them for what they know but it’s not going to be much.”

Yusuke made a face. “But we thinned the ranks again. How badly did we hurt them?”

Sirius took a good look around. “We got about half the remaining mid level DE’s. The rest either escaped, tagged, or weren’t here. It’s a bad hit. Not one they’re going to recover from.”

Yusuke got out a cigaret. “Ever?”

“Ever.” Remus produced a cigaret of his own. “We’ve definitely got them on the run. It’s really just a mop up from here on in. As long as we can get Nanashi.”

Sirius nodded his agreement. “He’s right. But our main objective, from now on, has to be getting the root, Nanashi, out of the ground. He’s got to be terminated. He’ll always be able to sweet talk, con or threaten people into joining him.”

Yusuke nodded. “So, we finish him off. Despite that stupid prophesy, which I don’t believe, it’s going to be more than a one man job. You up for it?”

Sirius nodded. “We are. Go back to school. We’ll get the answers we need and clean up this mess.” he glanced around. “We’ll send in the bounty and make sure it’s divided up properly. Miss anything?”

Yusuke laughed softly. “No. Let me know what you learn.”

Remus rumbled absently, “You got it. Bossu.”

Yusuke folded back to Hogwarts, leaving Remus and Sirius to clean up the mess and do the interrogations. He was very glad to have such a good Wakagaishira and Fuku-honbucho in Shiriusu-oji and Remusu-aniki. They made life so much easier. He hoped they decided to follow him back to Japan and stay. 

.

Yusuke folded right into the dorm room. Neville looked up, gulped then demanded, “Is any of that blood yours?”

Yusuke looked down at himself, he was covered in blood. “No.”

“Then go take a damn bath before you scare the children into hysterics. Then ... you’re going to tell all.” Neville turned back to his book.

“And if I don’t?” Yusuke smirked at Neville.

“I’ll sit on you while Hermione lectures you on the virtues of sharing.” Neville smirked right back.

Yusuke held up his hand. “Please. I’m gone.” he turned and wandered into the bathroom.

He was soon washed and dressed in a sleeping yukata. Neville glanced up when he returned to the dorm. “You going to be able to sleep?”

“In a bit. I’ll sit up and read. You ready to sleep?” Yusuke settled in his bed, flipping the covers back and shoving his feet under them.

“Just about.” he got up and disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water and odd noises let Yusuke know that he was brushing his teeth. It didn’t take long for him to return, settle into his own bed and close the curtains. “Good night.”

“Oyasuminasai, Neburu-kun.” Yusuke yawned, his earlier activities had made him (more) tired(er) than he’d expected. He was getting out of shape. “We’re going to work out hard tomorrow. I’m getting soft.”

Neville snorted. “Ok. I’m getting better, I think.” He closed his curtains to shut out Yusuke’s reading light.

“You are. And you’ll be better still. You work hard. I’m proud of you. Even if I don’t say it enough.” Yusuke also shut his curtains then settled in to read The Book of Five Rings. Not that he hadn’t read it several times by now. 

He read until his body’s exhaustion finally overrode the adrenalin of the fight then he snuffed his light and went to sleep.

.

Voldemort threw his usual fit and tossed hexes around like confetti. His remaining minions ran, as they always did. But they came crawling back as soon as his temper cooled. They had nowhere else to go as they had burned their bridges behind them when the first war put them in the spotlight. Now they were holding on to their social status by their fingernails and envying the Malfoys and Snape. They hadn’t had the nerve to stand up to Voldemort and they were now paying the price. None of them had ever thought that they might fail. They were pure bloods and superior, weren’t they?

A few, more wise or cowardly, than their fellows, ran for the continent leaving everything behind. They were just glad to escape with their lives and sanity. 

Rabastan Lestrange, tasked with keeping some sort of roster of DE’s, eyed the scroll with a scowl. The ranks were very thin now, most of the low level men had just vanished, like smoke before a gale. The mid level was now diminished by more than two-thirds, effectively crippling any attempt to recruit from anywhere. And the Inner Circle now consisted of only those few who were the most fanatical; i.e. those who’d escaped from Azkaban with a criminal record that even Fudge couldn’t ignore. He read the names again. Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Amycus and Alecto Carrow,  
Thorfinn Rowle, \Travers, Mulciber,/ and Barty Crouch Jr./Karkaroff. He wondered if he could grab his brother and make a run for it. He discarded the idea; as he was well aware that Rodolphus was now half mad. He wondered if he could make a run for it by himself but discarded that idea as well as he had no idea where to go or how to survive. 

.

Dumbledore got the notification of the raid on the pub as part of his duties as Chief Warlock of The Wizengamot. He glanced at it assumed that the raid was part of some sort of clean up by the Aurors Corp, signed and tossed it into the out basket without much thought. 

He was swamped, as usual, with paper work and thinking more of how to block the machinations of Black and his group than what he was actually doing. He was more and more marginalized, without even realizing it. 

.

Miyamoto Musashi participated in the questioning himself. The men who’d been captured were brought to the family compound and HQ, questioned extensively then ‘disposed’ of discretely. He was satisfied with his son’s activities. 

He was also very pleased with the results of his contract with the Ministry of Magic. He did wonder, however, if they were going into debt to Gringotts to pay. Or were they just liquidating assets? He only cared that they were being punished for daring to victimize his son. Who did they think they were anyway?

.

Neville read the reports when they came. Then he and Yusuke put their heads together, concluded that this was best left to the adults to deal with and settled in to enjoy the time between now and the third task as best they could.

Since this included regular workouts, it wasn’t as boring as it might have been. Yusuke was more than satisfied with Neville’s progress and he got regular reports on Hermione. Her sensei was very happy with her as well.

Then there was the fact that they still had homework to turn in, selfstudy wasn’t the easy street most assumed it was. It was, in fact, much harder; more was expected of them. They were given assignments, book lists and objectives and it was up to them to do the work. They could ask for help from any professor at any time but the professors had all refused to work with them outside office hours. The professors had heavy enough workloads without giving up their precious personal time. 

This wasn’t the hardship most would have found it, as Hermione was a demon for research and Sirius and Remus weren’t adverse to helping. But the workload was crushing.

Not that they minded it that much. The juku made it easier to study. The common room, where most students tried to study, was too noisy and the library just inconvenient all round. 

Staying in the juku also had other advantages. It kept Yusuke from killing stupid people, allowed both Yusuke and Neville to take care of their businesses without interference and send messages without having some well meaning person offer them an owl.

They sent all their mail by courier now as they no longer trusted the Ministry’s assertions that all mail boxes were now safe, owls no longer intercepted and so on. Yusuke’s mocking laughter at the last Ministry toady had sent the man to the right-about quick smart.

.

Hermione looked up from her research into magically grown plants to remark, “Do you think the hedges are strong enough to hold someone?” No one needed to ask what hedges.

Neville nodded. “Probably. They’ve been pruned down at least twice. The top growth is tender but six inches down it’s fairly strong. Why?”

Hermione shrugged. “There’s a trick I think Yusuke knows. It’s a way to run over soft surfaces, like sand; or even water. Wonder if it would work on a hedge.”

Yusuke glanced up from his book. “Thought of that. It’ll work. Good idea.”

Hermione grimaced at his back. “Smartypants.”

Yusuke, still unsure of some English idiomatic expressions asked, “And why would my pants be smarter than anyone else’s?”

Neville explained the expression then went on, “As to running on a hedge. I bet the judges disallow that as cheating.”

Yusuke shrugged. “I’m Yakuza, if I’m not cheating, I’m not doing it right. I intend to get to that cup before anyone else does. I don’t care about the prize, a thousand Galleons is nothing to me. But, miss the chance to get to Nanashi? No way.”

Hermione shrugged. “We don’t tell the judges what we’re going to do. It’s not sensible.”

Yusuke grinned at her. “And what happened to the girl who insisted on telling adults everything?”

Hermione made a face. “Grew up. Dumbledore ...” she waved a hand. “he’s not even been in school for the last ... three or four weeks. And who the hell with any sense leaves all their work up to someone else. Poor Professor McGonagall. She’s got Headmistress duties, Head of House duties and teaching to deal with. It’s a wonder the woman has time to sleep.”

Neville nodded. “She’s slacked off on the essays, it’s all multiple choice quizzes these days. She’s got the fifth year Gryffindor prefects grading them with a key sheet.”

Yusuke agreed, adding, “And she’s relying on the sixth year prefects to keep order in the house. Not that bad an idea. As to the Headmistress duties. She’s doing very well with them. My hat is off to her. I’ll be willing to bet that things change quite a bit next year. Dumbledore is out.”

Neville blinked. “How do you know?”

“Hogwarts won’t listen to him anymore. He can’t control the wards so he can’t be Headmaster.” he smirked. “It’s wonderful what you can learn by lurking.”

Hermione chuckled. “And having gaki who lurk.”

“Exactly.”

They returned to their studies, satisfied that they understood each other.

.

Severus Snape was as happy as he could be under the circumstances. He had put down his initial payment on the potions shop his old master had for sale. It didn’t hurt that it was in New York City, New York, USA. His master had moved from France shortly after he’d finished his apprenticeship. 

He couldn’t leave Hogwarts without attracting Voldemort’s attention, but that was soon to end. He had every reason to believe that Miyamoto Yusuke, erstwhile Harry Potter, would end the maniac. He just wasn’t sure when. Until that time, he’d stay where he was, brewing his potions and torturing students. Except for Miyamoto, Longbottom and Granger; he was staying as far away from them as possible.

.

Headmistress McGonagall eyed the last of her paperwork. It was nearly midnight, she had a class to teach first thing in the morning and her paperwork was breeding like pigmypuffs. She picked up one last piece of parchment and wrote a letter. She had a great niece who had graduated from Salem two years ago. She was still looking for a proper job and Minerva McGonagall believed in nepotism, up to a point. She’d offer the girl a job, but she had to keep it on her own.

She was also going to give up the place as Head of Gryffindor. She was realizing that she had fallen into the same pit Dumbledore had, but she had a shovel and knew how to use it. She was also going to do something she’d discussed with several people. All houses would have a Head of House that did nothing but that. This would allow them to have open office hours that actually allowed them to help the students in their house. They might be called upon to teach a class now and then, when a professor was ill, but they wouldn’t be a full time professor. This would allow them to supervise detentions, run patrols so that the seventh year prefects could get their sleep, and sit up with a student who was ill enough to be bed bound but not ill enough to need to stay in the infirmary. It would also allow them to deal more effectively with homesick and unhappy firsties.

Things were changing at Hogwarts, she was sure it was for the better.

.

 

Neville eyed Yusuke carefully. They’d completed their run and kata, now was the time that Neville loved and dreaded. Yusuke was teaching him to fight. He now had to apply everything Yusuke had been teaching him for more than a year.

Yusuke was very proud of Neville. He was learning faster than anyone could expect. He was already at a level that he could test for his first Dan, or level, in Kendo. He probably wouldn’t make it but that would be because of lack of experience, not skill. As a martial artist, he was about ready to test for his green belt, again it was lack of experience, not skill that limited him. Yusuke decided that he would institute an official belt system within the Miyamoto-kazoku, his men worked hard and deserved recognition. 

It did irk them both that they’d had to close the dojo to visitors. They’d enjoyed the visits from the boys from Durmstrang, but both Dumbledore, on one of his rare visits, and Karkaroff had objected. They’d apologized but banned them. The girls from Beauxbatons were another matter altogether. They were silly, giggly and annoying in the extreme. Both Yusuke and Neville had agreed to use the ban on Durmstrang as an excuse to ban the girls as well. They’d also dumped the task on Hermione. She’d made them pay through the nose for that one.

Yusuke had paid for a visit to a bookstore in Tokyo and Neville had played gaki for her. Even with Feather Lite charms, the load had nearly buckled his knees. 

Now, they were all working out to separate schedules. Yusuke worked with Neville as a warm up then did his usual workout alone. Neville took this opportunity to clean up and begin his homework. Hermione had finally gotten good enough that her sensei insisted on daily workouts, so she ran down to Ken No Ie, worked out there then ran back. She was usually in the juku by the time Yusuke got there.

Yusuke chose this day to begin preparations for the last task. It was only a week or so away and Yusuke wanted to make sure that everything went according to his plan.

So, now, Yusuke was preparing to beat the crap out of his best non-Yakuza friend. 

“Ready?”

Neville bounced on the balls of his feet. “I am.”

Yusuke darted to the left, taking a slap at Neville’s face as he did so. Neville ducked under the slap and made a grab for Yusuke’s wrist. Both slap and grab missed.

Yusuke countered Neville’s round house kick by blocking it with his forearm. He didn’t bother to hide his wince. “Good one. Try this.” He dropped and shot out one foot in a drop spin kick. Neville jumped over it but that left him open to one move he’d never considered. Yusuke’s hand shot out, grabbed him by the ankle and jerked. He landed flat on his back.

“Ow. Damn it, Yusuke, you could at least give me the illusion of competency.” Neville rubbed his stinging arse and sighed. “Well, that was ... bad.”

Yusuke snorted. “No. I’m a sixth Dan. You’re green, at best. The differences in skills are like the distance between the Earth and the Sun. I’m pleased.”

“Well, color me satisfied.” Neville rolled over, tripped Yusuke then jumped on top of him. Yusuke allowed it but rolled Neville over, pinned him then tickled him.

“Nonononono. I give, I give.” Neville laughed.

Yusuke quite tickling him. “You are good.” he smirked, “It’s just that I’m magnificent.”

Neville agreed, lying on his back he chuckled, “that you are. And modest too.”

“I am.”

They both laughed then returned to their work out. Yusuke proved that he was much better than Neville but he spent as much time explaining and demonstrating as he did throwing Neville around.

After they finished, Hermione folded in. She’d managed to get one of the waka to teach her. Yusuke admitted that, while he’d invented it, he was shit at teaching it. He’d managed to teach his brothers and father but they’d taught everyone else. 

“Hey. How’s the workout?” Hermione eyed Neville, who was sweating heavily and panting. “Good?”

Neville bent over at the waist, resting his hands on his knees. “Ok. Not good. He...” Neville nodded in Yusuke’s general direction. “is a hard taskmaster. But I’d rather he slapped me around than some DE AK’d me.”

“True, true.” Hermione settled in the meditation area and pulled a fan from her robes. She fanned herself idly while Yusuke continued to toss Neville around the mats.

After another ten minutes or so, they stopped, did a bit of yoga to cool down then came to sit with her, elves brought tea. Hermione poured carefully.

Yusuke sipped his tea then asked, “Ok, you’ve all read the reports. Comments? Ideas?”

Hermione shrugged. “Well, it’s obvious that Karkaroff is not ... Karkaroff, I mean. So who is he? We need to find out. Just not sure how.”

Neville snorted into his cup. “Saturday is the last Hogsmead day before the task. We’ve got two dozen waka. Why not just snatch him off the street, wait for him to change then look at him.”

Yusuke turned his head slowly. “I swear. Neville you’re brilliant. And why I didn’t think of that, or Shiriusu-oji, I don’t know.”

Hermione sighed. “Because we’re so used to dealing with people who take ‘handling’ that we’ve sort of lost sight of simplicity. Sad, seriously sad. So ... write a letter to ... who?”

Neville thought. “Isn’t that in Remus’ bailiwick?”

Yusuke nodded. “He’s muscle, but not dumb by any means.”

Hermione agreed. “He’s not. I got a look at his marks.” she eyed Neville. “And never you mind how. He got mostly O’s on his NEWTS. It’s a shame that Britain has such a shitty attitude toward were’s. Shameful.”

Yusuke shrugged, “But good for me. I’m hiring every were I can manage. They get their potions as part of their contract and a place to stay, if they want. I’m going to spread them out all over Japan as part of my kozaku. All the konbun know better than to argue with my enforcers but a bit of were-eye doesn’t go amiss.” he grinned in a way that made even his father a bit nervous. “So. I’ll write to Shiriusu-oji. He’ll finalize the plan and we’ll follow Karkaroff down. Just to watch the fun.”

Hermione tapped her fan on the table. “Sounds like a plan to me. Now ... potions is picking up a bit. Snape wants 24 inches on moon cycle potions.” She glowered at Yusuke who was snickering into his teacup. “Not that moon cycle. Potions that have to be brewed on a particular phase of the moon. Baka.”

Yusuke nodded but eyed her fan. “Tetsu senpūki?”

“A. Kenshiro-san gave it to me. He says I’m ready.” she tapped the fan again, making a decidedly metallic sound. “I’ll admit that I feel safer with it.”

Neville agreed. “I’m going to get one myself. Establish a fad.”

Yusuke reached into his mallet space and pulled out a very masculine, dark navy blue silk clad fan. “Here. Carry this one. I’ve got another, just like it, in here some ... Ah! Yes.” he fanned himself. “We’ll establish a fad indeed. And it’s nice to be able to openly carry a weapon.”

Hermione agreed. “A fake out. They won’t know we’re armed until we need them to. A wand is as obvious to a wizard as a gun to a yakuza. A fan? Not dangerous.” she smirked. “Until it is.”

“Exactly.” Yusuke finished his tea, offered cigarets around then got up. “we need to be in the juku. McGonagall-sensei asked that we stay out of the corridors while the judges set up ... something. I really wasn’t listening after she said judges. Idiots. Well, come on.”

They all trooped off for the juku to work on Snape’s essay. He’d proven to be easier to get along with lately. 

.

Severus Snape was sure that he hadn’t changed a bit. He was still a bastard about lab safety but he was getting better about explaining they why’s and wherefore’s of things. And he blamed that directly on Draco. The boy was always asking ‘why?’. He found that answering clarified things in his own mind. He was taking Draco to America with him as a full apprentice when he left. And no argy-bargy about it. Full Stop.

Draco, on the other hand, felt like he’d been slaved to a maniac. Severus insisted that every single caldron, vial, weight pan, etc. be cleaned by hand to an exacting standard that only a house elf ought to have to meet. His manicure was completely ruined and he didn’t have time to fix it, ever.

Snape was satisfied that, while Draco hadn’t learned his lesson, yet. He would. The boy hadn’t been out of quarters except to go to class since his near expulsion. He also was learning that magic really was a privilege, not a right. His wand was still boxed, except when he needed it for class. And it would stay that way for the foreseeable future. He, Snape, wasn’t having his godson and apprentice make anymore ‘mistakes’, mistakes that might see disaster befall both of them.

That was the one thing Snape was sure Draco really didn’t understand. He was responsible for everything the silly boy did. So he kept him on a short, firm leash, ignoring the almost constant whinging and bitching. The shrill tone of Draco’s voice made Snape wish that hexing him silent was possible. It was, however, against the rules set down by a board in charge of preventing abuse to apprentices. Much to his displeasure. 

All he had to do was live through the last task, Dumbledore had insisted that he attend, hinting at bad things if he didn’t. He was sure that Dumbledore meant that he’d queer his purchase, or ruin his reputation somehow. He grudgingly agreed to be there, but refused to allow Draco to attend. The boy was on restriction and would spend that day cleaning the potions laboratory from flagstones to rafters, by hand. 

He scowled into his teacup, wondering what idiocy Dumbledore had planned. He didn’t like it. Miyamoto-sama was sure to cause a riot. And Yusuke-kun sure to kill someone. 

.

Saturday came without much fanfare. All the Yusuke-gumi attended breakfast; waka, gaki and all. Yusuke stationed a man behind each of his friends and another at each side. He had an odd feeling and didn’t want anyone blindsided on the way to Hogsmead.

He had three men assigned to him, Sirius insisted. He wasn’t as bothered as Hermione and Neville. He was used to having an entourage, in fact, he missed having his men around him. Neville was better at managing than Hermione. He was used to seeing servants and house elves waiting on people like the Malfoys and Parkinsons. Hermione was having a bit of trouble with the whole idea but she listened to the senior men and did as they told her, mostly. Yusuke had had an entourage of one kind or another since he’d gotten to Japan.

The second they finished breakfast Yusuke ordered them on the move. He knew that whoever Karkaroff really was, he would be assigned as one of the professors stationed around Hogsmead to keep the students from demolishing the town.

The usual chaperones were Flitwick, Hagrid, and Sprout. Beauxbatons didn’t send anyone as the only two other professors didn’t speak English and Durmstrang had Karkaroff and another professor, usually a different one every time. This made three professors from Hogwarts, and two from Durmstrang. Only Karkaroff usually hid in either the Three Broomsticks or Madam Puddifoots. It was because of this habit that no one expected him to be missed until the return to Hogwarts, late in the evening.

.

Alistor Moody watched as Headmaster Karkaroff stomped down the path to Hogsmead. He had objected to having to chaperone his students, as Madam Maxime didn’t hers. But he’s been told that someone from one of the schools had to do this, and he was stuck with it. Headmistress McGonagall insisted.

He was sure that something was going on, he just wasn’t sure what. Miyamoto was like a clam. He didn’t necessarily sneak around, but he didn’t telegraph his movements either. It was like trying to catch smoke in a butterfly net. 

Not that he much cared, Yusuke as after DE’s after all. And he wasn’t much worried about what happened to those bastards. They didn’t call him Mad-eye because of his artificial eye, no matter what anyone claimed. 

.

The snatch went off without a hitch. 

Karkaroff tromped down the path, head down, grumbling to himself. As he drew even with the open gate at Ken No Ie, several things happened at once.

One waka cast a notice-me-not spell on the whole group. The now spelled group surrounded Karkaroff and just physically snatched him up. One man took his wand, two others grabbed his wrists, quickly binding them behind him. A fourth man stuffed a wad of cloth into his mouth, effectively gagging him. Then they dragged him through the gate and into the front yard of Ken No Ie. There they stripped him down to his smalls, searched his clothing and inventoried his things.

Hermione glanced around, missed Mad-eye, and scurried in through the gate. Neville didn’t bother to look around, he assumed, correctly, that someone was keeping an eye out for undue attention. Yusuke joined the crowd around Karkaroff, eyed the nearly naked man and announced, “Cover him ... that’s just ... dismal.” he led the way into Ken No Ie and down into the cellars.

Sirius and Remus met the group at the bottom of the stairs. Remus immediately took the small bundle of bits and pieces of pocket junk and scattered it across a nearby table. “Well, let’s see what we have here.” he shuffled the stuff around a bit then said, “No portkey, but ... Yeah. Pollyjuice.” He sniffed the pocket flask again. “And fresh. He probably took a dose just before breakfast. Give it 45 minutes or so and we’ll know who it really is. And then, we’ll know how highly placed he is and what questions to ask. Yusuke, why don’t you take Hermione and Neville into Hogsmead. It’s going to be boring to deal with. A whopping dose of Veratisirum and he’ll be babbling like a brook.”

Yusuke nodded. “Plausible deniability. We’re on our way. If you need me, send a gaki.”

Hermione eyed the man for a moment then said, “We know you’re English, we just don’t know exactly who you really are.” She smiled at him for a moment. “Just be sure to tell Remusu-san and Shiriusu-san what they want to know. If you don’t ... well, you won’t like what happens much.” She shuddered dramatically. “Last time was ... icky.” and with that she turned and trotted up the stairs.

Neville sighed. “Yusuke-kun, you’ve ruined her.” he followed Hermione shaking his head sadly. Karkaroff couldn’t see his smirk.

Yusuke shrugged, “I prefer to believe that I’ve fixed her.”

Hermione, well aware that they were talking about her, called, “Not behind my back please.”

They didn’t stop to eat anything, as they’d just had breakfast, instead, they headed down into Hogsmead. Hermione dragged them through every store on the square, loudly exclaiming over this and that. Neville complained a bit until Yusuke just hissed at him, “Yes, everyone is looking at us. We’re here, not there. Deal.”

Neville realized that Hermione was attracting attention on purpose and shut up. If they were noticed in the square about the time Karkaroff disappeared, they had an alibi. He made sure that the people looking at them recognized him.

This wasn’t as difficult as one might expect. Everyone recognized Harry Potter. The group of gaki around Hermione and him made recognition inevitable; most of Hogsmead was used to seeing them wandering around, surrounded by yakuza. Hermione had just made sure that everyone actually noticed them, rather than the kazoku.

They spent the next few hours wandering around town, shopping and visiting with the waka. They ate at the Three Broomsticks and stopped at Honeydukes. Their final stop was back at Ken No Ie.

Yusuke called, “Tadaima!” and they were swamped by waka who helped them into yukata and led them to the downstairs lounge. Remus and Sirius were waiting for them.

Sirius sighed, rubbed his face then said flatly, “Barty Crouch, Jr. Little bastard was supposed to be in Azkaban. How he got out is a story in itself. His ol’ man is in a heap of shit, too. We’re going to deal with that ourselves.”

Yusuke eyed Remus, who looked sour. “Well?”

Remus shrugged. “We’ve turned the whole mess over to the Aurors, in the person of Mad-eye Moody. He was ... pissed off, to put it mildly. We’ll be getting a reward for Junior. Senior can’t be found. I have a feeling that he’s either dead or out of the way somewhere. But ... we’re not dealing with this, the Aurors are. We’re not getting paid, we’re not doing the job. Let them do something worth while for once.” He settled back to finish his tea, sour expression still firmly in place.

Yusuke sighed. “Well, shit. Any info on what the hell Nanashi has planned?”

Sirius took over again. “Yes. They’ve turned the cup into a portkey to bring you to Nanashi and ... guess the rest.” His expression told its own tale.

Yusuke snorted. “Ok. So.” He looked around, waiting for suggestions.

Hermione coughed. “Let him. Now that you’re warned, we could put an unbreakable trace on you, have you use the portkey and follow you. Everything else is going to have to be on the fly.”

Neville added, “You carry enough weapons in that mallet space that you aren’t going to be helpless. And response time is nil, or nearly so, when folding. I’ll be right on your heels.”

Yusuke nodded. “Ok. I’m not fond of that plan but it’s the best we’ve got for finding that asshole.”

Sirius scowled at him. “I not only don’t like it, I actively hate it. What if the tracker fails?”

Yusuke shook his head. “I’ve had the kanji embroidered into my clothing, all I have to do is activate it. And I’ll do that before the task starts.”

Hermione frowned, “If they manage to leave your robes behind?”

Yusuke smirked, “Not on my robes. And I don’t think Nanashi knows a spell to strip you naked.”

Neville snorted as he realized that the kanji had to be on his underwear. “I don’t think so either.”

The laugher lightened the mood in the room quite a bit. Waka showed up with food and more tea. This led to them spending the hour and some before curfew eating and drinking tea while several gaki entertained them with music, jokes and a dance. 

They enjoyed the whole day, except for the report from Sirius and Remus, none of them bothered to ask about Crouch/Karkaroff. 

.

The flap at Hogwarts over the disappearance of Headmaster Karkaroff wasn’t much. The Assistant Headmaster came from Durmstrang to say that he would be remaining as chaperone and contact in case the headmaster showed up, or a crime could be proven. He was stiff, contrary and uncooperative. No one much cared, not even the Durmstrang students.

Headmistress McGonagall was inclined to be insulted but she didn’t say that much, only informing the new chaperone that he was responsible for his students behavior. That their behavior had been exemplary up to now wasn’t mentioned. Assistant Headmaster Demerov proved to be unremarkable in every way and was, more or less, forgotten at once.

Things returned to what passed [as/for] normal at Hogwarts.

.

Voldemort had no idea that his plan had been compromised. Since he had ordered no one to contact his spy in Hogwarts and his spy had been ordered not to contact them. No one had any idea that Crouch had been found out. And, even if they had, no one would dare tell their lord such bad news. Not if they wished to live through the day.

.

The next weeks went by quickly and it was the day of the last task. 

Yusuke dressed carefully in Hakama, hakamashita and haori of a mottled green/brown brocade. Tucked his swords into his obi and went down to breakfast. He was followed by half a dozen high ranking waka, three of his and one from each brother. His Father would provide two more on the walk to the task.

Neville pushed his way to the Gryffindor table and settled in place. Hermione followed him. The Great Hall was crammed with people, all there by invitation of the ministry to see the last task of the tournament. The Champions were seated in state at the champions table. Also seated at the table were Miyamoto Musashi, Assistant Headmaster Demerov, Madam Maxim and relatives of the other champions, no one bothered with their names. A rank of yakuza kept anyone from approaching too closely. 

Yusuke glanced around the room and scowled. “I’d rather had Hermione and Neville here than ...” he eyed the other occupants of the table. “this bunch. But ...”

Musashi-san shrugged in that elegant way of his. “Never mind. It’ll all be over soon and we can leave this ... barbarous country. Eat.”

Yusuke snorted. The only foods offered today were all English, heavy and disgusting. Odette was eyeing a plate full of bangers with ill-disguised dismay. Ivan wasn’t much pleased either. He was not fond of English either, although the Russian habit of having sandwiches for breakfast had the English shaking their heads. 

Musashi-san dealt with this easily. “Service!” and elf popped in with a small squeak. “Bring proper food, according to taste. Now!” the elf gave a quick bob and disappeared. The food appeared seconds later, each plate containing foods that the person liked best. Musashi-san nodded. “Enough foolishness.”

Yusuke smiled at his Father. His English would never be good, so Musashi limited his sentences to as few words as he could get away with. It didn’t hurt his reputation in the least. 

Breakfast finally ended and Minister Fudge stood, produced a chime with a quick spell then announced, “Attention! Attention everyone!” he waited a moment while everyone turned their attention to him. “Thank you, thank you. Now, down to business. The Champions will process to the stadium through the Great Front Doors so everyone make way.” people obediently moved to create a pass from the high table to the huge front doors. “Yes, thank you.” he stepped into the passageway, only to be gently but firmly blocked by the rank of yakuza, who’d moved to flank the group of Champions and family. Madam Maxime had no trouble, due to her height, but Assistant Headmaster Demerov nearly got left behind. Only Ivan taking him by the hand saved him being left behind.

The yakuza formed up around Yusuke and Musashi, adding Hermione and Neville easily. Fudge frowned but refrained from comment deciding to evict the two unnecessary additions at the stands. Of course, this didn’t work.

“Here we are.” Fudge motioned with one hand. An Auror, placed on the platform, moved to block the stairs. “We’ll only have the Champions and Officials on the stage, please.”

Madam Maxim frowned, “Who do you think you are, little man, to order such a thing?” the lady simply picked the Auror up by his armpits and put him to one side, ignoring his sputtered protests.

Musashi-san nodded to her and said, “Merci, Madam.” he moved aside so that the other members of the group could mount the stairs. They all trooped up to stand in front of the podium and, incidentally, Fudge. 

Minister Fudge fussed at his Auror guard until they, unsuccessfully, tried to move the group behind the podium.

Yusuke sighed. “Damn it! That man’s a menace to all concerned.” he turned to the lead Auror and demanded, “Let’s get on with it. We don’t want, or need, that pompous jackass to spend half an hour ...” he glowered at Hermione

Hermione jumped into the breach with both feet. “Speachifying is the word. And no, we don’t. Move things along, please.” She gave the Auror a completely insincere smile. “Otherwise, someone might just jump the gun. Go.”

The Auror went to murmur in Fudge’s ear. Fudge scowled at his notes then stuffed them into his pocket. “I had a few words planned but, it seems, the contestants are eager to begin. So ... without further ado ...” he made a grandiose gesture to the group of Judges. “we’ll seat the judges and begin.”

The judges all gave him looks, that sort of look you give the village idiot when he’s done something particularly stupid; a combination of annoyance and indulgence perhaps. They took their seats quickly.

Fudge nodded to them, “Excellent, wonderful. Well, lets get on with it, shall we?” Since many of the audience had already been seated for over an hour the general consensus was ‘we shall’.

The grumble that ran through the crowd spurred Fudge into real action. “Excellent, wonderful. So ... first into the labyrinth will be ... Harry Potter!” Fudge waved at Yusuke, who made a face at him then activated his tracking kanji. “Then ... Ivan Dubrovsky. And last but not least ...Odette Renaud.” He started to say something else but was run over by one of the judges. They were as bored with Fudge as everyone else and had chosen one of their number to begin the task.

This judge now stood up, announced, “At the sound of the chime, Miyamoto-san will enter the labyrinth. 45 seconds later Gospodin Dubrovsky will enter and 30 seconds after that Mademoiselle Renaud.” without waiting for comment from anyone he produced the chime and Yusuke ran into the labyrinth.

It really wasn’t going to make any difference when the other two contestants entered the labyrinth, Yusuke was going to use a ninja trick, as Hermione called it. He simply jumped to the top of the hedges and ran there. This avoided the beasties that Hagrid had provided as well as making the trip to the center of the labyrinth take a few seconds instead of several minutes. He used a simple spell, like a Feather Lite charm, to make himself lighter and easily made his way to the center of the labyrinth where the cup was ensconced on a plinth.

He examined it and wondered how to activate it. He decided that the simplest way was probably it and reached out, grasped it by one of the handles and picked it up. It immediately transported him to a clearing in an unknown forest.

Yusuke eyed the thing in front of him with undisguised disgust. He was bald, scaly and very snake like, flanked by the remainders of his inner circle; Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Thorfinn Rowle, Travers, and Mulciber plus a few low level underlings. He was everything a Dark Lord should be. Except for dead. Yusuke intended to deal with that as quickly as possible.

They stood, face-to-face, for several seconds, then Yusuke’s back up folded in. Since this included not only Miyamoto Musashi, but Miyamoto Masa, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Mad-eye Moody, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger and half a dozen high ranking yakuza, the battle was a bit uneven. 

Lord Voldemort attacked Yusuke without a word of warning, not that that created a problem. And the battle was on. 

Yusuke ducked the AK that headed his way and drew his sword. This was what was going to win the day. All the Death Eaters expected a wands-drawn conflict, they were not expecting to be met with cold steel. Even Hermione was armed with two Tessen, her sensei had declared her Kuonichi two days ago.

Yusuke unleashed a head cut that Voldemort ducked under, with a rather undignified screech. His next cut slashed his opponent across the chest, cutting his robe open and creating a gash that immediately began to bleed heavily. 

“You! You dare!” Incensed, Voldemort tried another curse. “Crucio!”

Yusuke ducked under that one, danced to one side and tossed a handful of ofuda at Voldemort. These ofuda were more a distraction than anything else, all they really did was dispel ‘spells of holding’, he was hoping that Voldemort had a wizard space. Dispelling that would dump everything in it onto the man’s head. It worked a great deal better than hoped. 

Voldemort was actually a construct made from spells, potions and blood from his faithful followers. He was pulling power from anyone with a dark mark and, as his marked followers fell, his power was diminished. The ofuda cut the last links between marked and master. This left Voldemort weakened.

Voldemort staggered, nearly fell but managed to right himself. He cast several hexes, one after the other. Yusuke managed to duck, dodge or shield them all, except for the last Diffindo, this cut him across the shoulders, gouging out a long shallow path from the top of his shoulder the the point of his shoulder blade on the left side. 

Yusuke dropped and rolled, not a way from, but toward his opponent. He dipped his fingers in the blood from his shoulder, flicked the droplets at Voldemort and snarled, “Hijinkessou!” The droplets turned into sharp, knifelike shards. Voldemort couldn’t duck or block those and wound up with dozens of shards stabbed into his chest and abdomen. While he was trying to cope with that Yusuke jumped up, levitated to several feet over his head and dropped on him like the proverbial thunderbolt. “Ryuu Tsui Sen!” And the fight was over. The Dragon Hammer split Voldemort from skull to pelvis. 

Yusuke turned to help someone, only to find that the fight was nearly over.

Musashi-san had squared off against Rabastan LeStrange and slashed him to ribbons in that off handed way of his. He was now inspecting his clothing for blood spatter. 

Masa-san had taken Rodolphus LeStrange by surprise, gotten behind him and was still trying to strangle him. Yusuke stuck his tanto through the man’s chest, careful not to go all the way through and stick Masa. His brother wouldn’t appreciate that at all.

“Otōto o arigatōgozaimashita.” Masa shook his garrote loose and stood up.

The brothers looked for new targets but saw that they were a bit thin on the ground.

The yakuza who had matched up with Death Eaters had done as yakuza do and ganged up on them, taking out the half-dozen or so lower level men with extreme prejudice. 

Sirius was standing over the body of Amicus Carrow with a disgusted expression and a bruise forming on his cheek. He’d tripped on a rock and fallen, missing decapitation by inches. He’d retaliated with an extremely nasty Black family secret curse that caused Carrow’s brain to liquify. He was dead before he knew it.

Remus had gone wolf on his target and done a very good job of tearing Mulciber into quarters, he was now busily loosing his breakfast with one of the yakuza rubbing his back.

Mad-eye was still trying to deal with Travers as he hadn’t gotten the memo that stunners weren’t permanent. Miyamoto Masa dealt with that silliness by walking up behind Travers and separating his head from his body. He glowered at Mad-eye, barked, “Orokana, karera o korosu!” then walked off. 

Mad-eye grumbled, “Needed to question ... well, shit. Didn’t.” he stumped off to nurse his bruised ego.

This left Hermione and Neville. They were fighting Alecto Carrow and Thorfinn Rowle respectively. 

Alecto had lost her wand when Hermione used one of her fans to knock it out of her hand. She had made the mistake most magicals made, scorned Hermione for using steel. Hermione had to admit that she was glad that her sensei had made her learn to use a fan in her left hand. She had hexed Alecto with a freezing charm then taken her wand while she was fighting off the effects. A quick stomp had broken the wand and left Alecto fighting hand to hand. The only reason Hermione was still fighting was, Alecto was very good at ducking and dodging. 

Yusuke yelled, “Hermione, stop chasing her and hex her!”

Hermione waved her wand and yelled, “Bombarda!” The hex hit Alecto in the back and knocked her flat. Hermione stupefied her before she could get back up. 

Neville, meanwhile, was having his own troubles. Thorfinn Rowle was a rather large, blond man well known for his ruthlessness. He was having a hard time with Neville however. Neville blocked, shielded or dodged his best curses while casting curses and hexes of his own. The only thing that had saved Rowle was his body mass and stamina. 

Neville cast a hex then snarled, “Damn it! A little help here?” 

Yusuke waved one hand, snarled, “Shibaru!” and /pointed/ at Rowle. A mass of silvery ropes popped out of his palm and entangled Rowle, throwing him to the ground as they wrapped around his ankles and knees. “There.” Yusuke turned to a panting Neville. “Ok?”

Neville nodded. “Yeah. Never complaining about endurance training again.” He straightened up. “Thanks. I’m glad I didn’t have to kill him. Not something I was looking forward to.”

Yusuke smiled, “Smoke?” Neville took the offered cigaret. “I’m glad you didn’t have to kill. Not good for you. So ... Now what?”

Mad-eye answered that by slapping portkeys on every Death Eater he could. Not that anyone wanted to stop him. The keys took all prisoners directly to the depths of the Ministry were Senior Aurors were already stationed to sort the mess and deal. 

“I’ll expect bounties to be paid to me for all of those. And an immediate release of my family fortune to me.” Yusuke smiled at Sirius, “Not that Shiriusu-oji is doing a bad job. It’s ...”

Mad-eye interrupted by snorting. He then agreed, “It’s just that it’s yours and you want it. don’t blame ya. I’ll see to it myself. Now. We’re going to be over run by ... idiots. Brace yourselves.”

Yusuke continued to smoke, passing cigarets out to his father and brother. Hermione turned it down but the other yakuza produced smokes of their own. 

When the reporters, Ministry officials, Judges and various other nosey parkers arrived, the yakuza presented a unified front that protected Hermione and Neville completely and allowed only minimal contact with any of the other combatants. It didn’t hurt that there were now nearly forty gaki gathered around the small group.

Demands for answers to questions were met with “Write it down. Submit it on that table over there.” The table in question was soon groaning with parchments of all types, qualities and sizes.

Mad-eye happily told everyone that he would deal with the questioning of all yakuza at the appropriate time. Which was not now. Fudge chose to try to argue with Mad-eye, announcing, “I’m the minister, you’ll do what I say.”

Mad-eye looked him over like he was a bad rash. “I will, will I? Retired. Look it up. You aren’t the boss of me. I’m only doing this because I was asked. I can just as easy go home now.” he glowered around, caught the eye of Musashi-san. Musashi made a small sign that Moody recognized. He nodded and apparated away.

It wasn’t long after that Miyamoto Musashi-sama had had enough. “Aruku!” All the yakuza began to walk, formed up in ranks. Hermione and Neville, being in the middle, went along. “Bai!” The entire group simply disappeared between on step and the next, leaving all the reporters, Aurors, sycophants and curious behind.

.

They all reappeared in the street in front of Ken No Ie. Mad-eye was waiting for them.

Musashi-sama looked around, announced, “O-saki-to.” and walked in the front door.

Mad-eye looked at Hermione then said, “Eh? Wassat?”

“Party.” Hermione followed him in the door. 

It didn’t take long for them all to be seated, Yusuke with some gaki tending his shoulder while another nursed Sirius’ face. A few other men had wounds of various types, none of them truly bad. 

While the wounded were tended, the rest of the gaki brought out food, tea and saki. Hermione again retreated to her little nook, placed a table in front of it and settled in to tell stories. Mad-eye settled close to her, just in case. 

Hermione smiled at the old retired Auror. “Don’t worry about me. No one would dare mess with me.”

“Well, girly, I’ll just make sure. See?” Mad-eye had missed most of Hermione’s battle, being busy taking care of prisoners.

“Fine. But don’t hurt yourself on my account.” She waved her fan causing one waka, one of her sparing partners, to flinch. “Gomen.” She took a plate of snacks and settled to nibble on them. “I swear, fighting really makes me hungry.”

Mad-eye barked out a laugh. “That it does, Missy, that it does.”

Hermione chose not to take offense with the old man, she wasn’t fond of being called ‘missy’ or ‘girly’ but realized that he meant no insult. 

The party lasted long in to the morning, winding up when someone realized that everyone was too drunk to make breakfast.

Hermione was asleep, curled up in her nest with Mad-eye and a waka passed out in front of it.

Yusuke had staggered up to bed, holding Sirius and Remus up, or they him; no one was sure and no one cared. 

Neville was also passed out, but at the head table next to Masa-kun. Musashi-san had left near midnight, drunk and just aware enough to make it back to Japan. It would’t do for the Oyabun to actually be drunk in public. 

.

The result of the battle was more than a bit anticlimactic.

The Tri-Wizard was declared to be a bust, with Yusuke as winner. He donated the 1000 galleons to the kazoku party fund, an insult the Ministry of Magic didn’t understand. Hermione laughed, Neville smirked, Sirius and Remus both cheered.

The Ministry finally turned complete control of his fortune over to Yusuke, who promptly turned it back over to Sirius. That was what he’d hired the man for after all.

The papers all carried stories about the Defeat of The Greatest Dark Lord of the Age. All wildly different, all mostly wrong. The ICW finally got a clue and sanctioned the Ministry for putting an underage wizard at hazard. The entirety of the British Wizarding World was in an uproar. No one was entirely sure what they were in a strop about but they were.

Dumbledore retreated to his office at the Ministry, only to find that he’d been removed from office by a vote of 90 percent of the Gamot. His office at the ICW was still his, but his tenure as Headmaster was over before he even knew it was in danger. He’d been sure that his old friend Minerva McGonagall was only holding down the office until he could return. When he did, Hogwarts wouldn’t let him in the front gates. He finally went to his old home to sulk, for several years.

Neville got into an argument with his Gran that ended in him flatly telling her that he was the master of the house and she’d better get used to it. She subsided rather meekly for such a formidable woman then said, “But Neville, you’re the only family I’ve got left. What would I do without you?”

Neville was immediately sorry and replied, “I have no idea, but don’t worry. That was my last battle. Really.”

Hermione’s parents never knew a thing about the battle, but were very proud of her when she was offered a job as an ESL teacher to a very exclusive school in Japan. 

Yusuke was just glad to be allowed to take NEWTs in peace then return to Japan to run his businesses. 

His parting remark was, “Atashi wa kono kuni ga kirai. Sore o nokosu tame ni yorokon de.” and, despite Hermione’s efforts, he flatly refused to speak English at all for several years.

 

.

Kuso jijī - old fart  
Anata ga ki ni shinai baai. - If you don’t mind  
Hairu - come in  
Atarashī sakana - new fish  
Orokana, karera o korosu - kill them, stupid.  
atashi wa kono kuni ga kirai. Sore o nokosu tame ni yorokon de. - I hate this country. Glad to leave it.

 

OMG! I can’t believe I’ve finally finished this heffer. I started out to write a fun story about Harry living in Japan. It evolved into something else entirely. Don’t you hate it when a story does that? *G*

And enormous thanks to my betas, Jake and Jordre. Amazing ladies who have hammered my prose into something resembling literature. *hugs*


	40. Chapter 40

893.40 and epilogue.

 

Yusuke folded right into the dorm room. Neville looked up, gulped, then demanded, “Is any of that blood yours?”

Yusuke looked down at himself; he was covered in blood. “No.”

“Then go take a damn bath before you scare the children into hysterics. Then ... you’re going to tell all.” Neville turned back to his book.

“And if I don’t?” Yusuke smirked at Neville.

“I’ll sit on you while Hermione lectures you on the virtues of sharing,” Neville smirked right back.

Yusuke held up his hand. “Please. I’m gone.” He turned and wandered into the bathroom.

He was soon washed and dressed in a sleeping yukata. Neville glanced up when he returned to the dorm. “You going to be able to sleep?”

“In a bit. I’ll sit up and read. You ready to sleep?” Yusuke settled in his bed, flipping the covers back and shoving his feet under them.

“Just about.” He got up and disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water and odd noises let Yusuke know that he was brushing his teeth. It didn’t take long for him to return, settle into his own bed, and reach to close the curtains. “Good night.” 

“Oyasuminasai, Neburu-kun.” Yusuke yawned, his earlier activities had made him more tired than he’d expected. He was getting out of shape. “We’re going to work out hard tomorrow. I’m getting soft.” 

Neville snorted. “Ok. I’m getting better, I think.” He closed his curtains to shut out Yusuke’s reading light.

“You are. And you’ll be better still. You work hard. I’m proud of you. Even if I don’t say it enough.” Yusuke also shut his curtains, then settled in to read The Book of Five Rings. Not that he hadn’t read it several times by now. 

He read until his body’s exhaustion finally overrode the adrenalin of the fight; then he snuffed his light and went to sleep.

.

Voldemort threw his usual fit and tossed hexes around like confetti. His remaining minions ran, as they always did... but they came crawling back as soon as his temper cooled. They had nowhere else to go, as they had burned their bridges behind them when the first war had put them in the spotlight. Now they were holding onto their social status by their fingernails and envying the Malfoys and Snape. They hadn’t had the nerve to stand up to Voldemort, and they were now paying the price. None of them had ever thought that they might fail. They were purebloods and superior, weren’t they?

A few, more wise or cowardly, than their fellows, ran for the continent, leaving everything behind. They were just glad to escape with their lives and sanity. 

Rabastan Lestrange, tasked with keeping some sort of roster of DE’s, eyed the scroll with a scowl. The ranks were very thin now; most of the low-level men had just vanished, like smoke before a gale. The mid-level was now diminished by more than two-thirds, effectively crippling any attempt to recruit from anywhere. And the Inner Circle now consisted of only those few who were the most fanatical; i.e, those who’d escaped from Azkaban with a criminal record that even Fudge couldn’t ignore. He read the names again. Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Thorfinn Rowle, Travers, Mulciber, and Barty Crouch Jr./Karkaroff. He wondered if he could grab his brother and make a run for it. He discarded the idea, as he was well aware that Rodolphus was now half-mad. He wondered if he could make a run for it by himself, but discarded that idea as well, as he had no idea where to go or how to survive. 

.

Dumbledore got the notification of the raid on the pub as part of his duties as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. He glanced at it, assumed that the raid was part of some sort of cleanup by the Auror Corps, then signed and tossed it into the “out” basket without much thought. 

He was swamped, as usual, with paperwork and thinking more of how to block the machinations of Black and his group than what he was actually doing. He was more and more marginalized, without even realizing it. 

.

Miyamoto Musashi participated in the questioning himself. The men who’d been captured were brought to the family compound and HQ, questioned extensively, then ‘disposed’ of discreetly. He was satisfied with his son’s activities. 

He was also very pleased with the results of his contract with the Ministry of Magic. He did wonder, however, if they were going into debt to Gringotts to pay. Or were they just liquidating assets? He only cared that they were being punished for daring to victimize his son. Who did they think they were, anyway?

.

Neville read the reports when they came. Then he and Yusuke put their heads together, concluded that this was best left to the adults to deal with, and settled in to enjoy the time between now and the third task as best they could. Since this included regular workouts, it wasn’t as boring as it might have been. Yusuke was more than satisfied with Neville’s progress, and he got regular reports on Hermione. Her sensei was very happy with her as well.

Then there was the fact that they still had homework to turn in; self-study wasn’t the easy street most assumed it was. It was, in fact, much harder; more was expected of them. They were given assignments, book lists, and objectives, and it was up to them to do the work. They could ask for help from any professor at any time, but the professors had all refused to work with them outside office hours. The professors had heavy enough workloads without giving up their precious personal time. 

This wasn’t the hardship most would have found it, as Hermione was a demon for research and Sirius and Remus weren’t averse to helping. But the workload was crushing.

Not that they minded it that much. The juku made it easier to study. The common room, where most students tried to study, was too noisy, and the library was just inconvenient all round. 

Staying in the juku also had other advantages. It kept Yusuke from killing stupid people, and allowed both Yusuke and Neville to take care of their businesses without interference and send messages without having some well-meaning person offer them an owl.

They sent all their mail by courier now, as they no longer trusted the Ministry’s assertions that all mailboxes were now safe, owls no longer intercepted, and so on. Yusuke’s mocking laughter at the last Ministry toady had sent the man to the right-about quick smart.

.

Hermione looked up from her research into magically grown plants to remark, “Do you think the hedges are strong enough to hold someone?” No one needed to ask what hedges.

Neville nodded. “Probably. They’ve been pruned down at least twice. The top growth is tender, but six inches down it’s fairly strong. Why?”

Hermione shrugged. “There’s a trick I think Yusuke knows. It’s a way to run over soft surfaces, like sand, or even water. Wonder if it would work on a hedge?”

Yusuke glanced up from his book. “Thought of that. It’ll work. Good idea.”

Hermione grimaced at his back. “Smartypants.”

Yusuke, still unsure of some English idiomatic expressions asked, “And why would my pants be smarter than anyone else’s?”

Neville explained the expression then went on, “As for running on a hedge, I bet the judges disallow that as cheating.”

Yusuke shrugged. “I’m Yakuza; if I’m not cheating, I’m not doing it right. I intend to get to that cup before anyone else does. I don’t care about the prize; a thousand Galleons is nothing to me. But, miss the chance to get to Nanashi? No way.”

Hermione shrugged. “We don’t tell the judges what we’re going to do. It’s not sensible.”

Yusuke grinned at her. “And what happened to the girl who insisted on telling adults everything?”

Hermione made a face. “Grew up. Dumbledore ...” she waved a hand, “he’s not even been in school for the last ... three or four weeks. And who the hell with any sense leaves all their work up to someone else? Poor Professor McGonagall. She’s got Headmistress duties, Head of House duties, and teaching to deal with. It’s a wonder the woman has time to sleep.”

Neville nodded. “She’s slacked off on the essays; it’s all multiple-choice quizzes these days. She’s got the fifth-year Gryffindor prefects grading them with a key sheet.”

Yusuke agreed, adding, “And she’s relying on the sixth-year prefects to keep order in the house. Not that bad an idea. As to the Headmistress duties... She’s doing very well with them. My hat is off to her. I’ll be willing to bet that things change quite a bit next year. Dumbledore is out.”

Neville blinked. “How do you know?”

“Hogwarts won’t listen to him anymore. He can’t control the wards, so he can’t be Headmaster,” he smirked. “It’s wonderful what you can learn by lurking.”

Hermione chuckled. “And having gaki who lurk.”

“Exactly.”

They returned to their studies, satisfied that they understood each other.

.

Severus Snape was as happy as he could be under the circumstances. He had put down his initial payment on the potions shop his old master had for sale. It didn’t hurt that it was in New York City, New York, USA. His master had moved from France shortly after he’d finished his apprenticeship. 

He couldn’t leave Hogwarts without attracting Voldemort’s attention, but that was soon to end. He had every reason to believe that Miyamoto Yusuke, erstwhile Harry Potter, would end the maniac. He just wasn’t sure when. Until that time, he’d stay where he was, brewing his potions and torturing students—except for Miyamoto, Longbottom, and Granger; he was staying as far away from them as possible.

.

Headmistress McGonagall eyed the last of her paperwork. It was nearly midnight, she had a class to teach first thing in the morning, and her paperwork was breeding like pigmypuffs. She picked up one last piece of parchment and wrote a letter. She had a great-niece who had graduated from Salem two years ago. She was still looking for a proper job, and Minerva McGonagall believed in nepotism, up to a point. She’d offer the girl a job, but she had to keep it on her own.

She was also going to give up the place as Head of Gryffindor. She was realizing that she had fallen into the same pit Dumbledore had, but she had a shovel and knew how to use it. She was also going to do something she’d discussed with several people. All houses would have Heads of Houses that did nothing but that. This would allow them to have open office hours that actually allowed them to help the students in their respective houses. They might be called upon to teach a class now and then, when a professor was ill, but they wouldn’t be full-time professors. This would allow them to supervise detentions, run patrols so that the seventh-year prefects could get their sleep, and sit up with a student who was ill enough to be bed-bound, but not ill enough to need to stay in the infirmary. It would also allow them to deal more effectively with homesick and unhappy firsties.

Things were changing at Hogwarts; she was sure it was for the better.

.

 

Neville eyed Yusuke carefully. They’d completed their run and kata, now was the time that Neville loved and dreaded. Yusuke was teaching him to fight. He now had to apply everything Yusuke had been teaching him for more than a year.

Yusuke was very proud of Neville. He was learning faster than anyone could expect. He was already at a level that he could test for his first Dan, or level, in Kendo. He probably wouldn’t make it, but that would be because of lack of experience, not skill. As a martial artist, he was about ready to test for his green belt; again it was lack of experience, not skill, that limited him. Yusuke decided that he would institute an official belt system within the Miyamoto-kazoku; his men worked hard and deserved recognition. 

It did irk them both that they’d had to close the dojo to visitors. They’d enjoyed the visits from the boys from Durmstrang, but both Dumbledore, on one of his rare visits, and Karkaroff had objected. They’d apologized, but banned them. The girls from Beauxbatons were another matter altogether. They were silly, giggly, and annoying in the extreme. Both Yusuke and Neville had agreed to use the ban on Durmstrang as an excuse to ban the girls as well. They’d also dumped the task on Hermione. She’d made them pay through the nose for that one.

Yusuke had paid for a visit to a bookstore in Tokyo and Neville had played gaki for her. Even with Feather-Lite charms, the load had nearly buckled his knees. 

Now, they were all working out to separate schedules. Yusuke worked with Neville as a warmup, then did his usual workout alone. Neville took this opportunity to clean up and begin his homework. Hermione had finally gotten good enough that her sensei insisted on daily workouts, so she ran down to Ken No Ie, worked out there, then ran back. She was usually in the juku by the time Yusuke got there.

Yusuke chose this day to begin preparations for the last task. It was only a week or so away, and Yusuke wanted to make sure that everything went according to his plan.

So, now, Yusuke was preparing to beat the crap out of his best non-Yakuza friend. 

“Ready?”

Neville bounced on the balls of his feet. “I am.”

Yusuke darted to the left, taking a slap at Neville’s face as he did so. Neville ducked under the slap and made a grab for Yusuke’s wrist. Both slap and grab missed.

Yusuke countered Neville’s round house kick by blocking it with his forearm. He didn’t bother to hide his wince. “Good one. Try this.” He dropped and shot out one foot in a drop-spin-kick. Neville jumped over it, but that left him open to one move he’d never considered. Yusuke’s hand shot out, grabbed him by the ankle, and jerked. He landed flat on his back.

“Ow. Damn it, Yusuke, you could at least give me the illusion of competency.” Neville rubbed his stinging arse and sighed. “Well, that was ... bad.”

Yusuke snorted. “No. I’m a sixth Dan. You’re green, at best. The differences in skills are like the distance between the Earth and the Sun. I’m pleased.”

“Well, color me satisfied.” Neville rolled over, tripped Yusuke then jumped on top of him. Yusuke allowed it but rolled Neville over, pinned him, then tickled him.

“Nonononono. I give, I give,” Neville laughed.

Yusuke quite tickling him. “You are good,” he smirked, “It’s just that I’m magnificent.”

Neville agreed, lying on his back he chuckled, “That you are. And modest too.”

“I am.”

They both laughed, then returned to their workout. Yusuke proved that he was much better than Neville, but he spent as much time explaining and demonstrating as he did throwing Neville around.

After they finished, Hermione folded in. She’d managed to get one of the waka to teach her. Yusuke admitted that, while he’d invented it, he was shit at teaching it. He’d managed to teach his brothers and father, but they’d taught everyone else. 

“Hey. How’s the workout?” Hermione eyed Neville, who was sweating heavily and panting. “Good?”

Neville bent over at the waist, resting his hands on his knees. “Okay. Not good. He...” Neville nodded in Yusuke’s general direction, “is a hard taskmaster. But I’d rather he slapped me around than some DE AK’ed me.”

“True, true.” Hermione settled in the meditation area and pulled a fan from her robes. She fanned herself idly while Yusuke continued to toss Neville around the mats.

After another ten minutes or so, they stopped, did a bit of yoga to cool down, then came to sit with her; elves brought tea. Hermione poured carefully.

Yusuke sipped his tea, then asked, “Okay, you’ve all read the reports. Comments? Ideas?”

Hermione shrugged. “Well, it’s obvious that Karkaroff is not ... Karkaroff, I mean. So who is he? We need to find out. Just not sure how.”

Neville snorted into his cup. “Saturday is the last Hogsmeade day before the task. We’ve got two dozen waka. Why not just snatch him off the street, wait for him to change, then look at him?”

Yusuke turned his head slowly. “I swear. Neville, you’re brilliant. And why I didn’t think of that, or Shiriusu-oji, I don’t know.”

Hermione sighed. “Because we’re so used to dealing with people who take ‘handling’ that we’ve sort of lost sight of simplicity. Sad, seriously sad. So ... write a letter to ... who?”

Neville thought. “Isn’t that in Remus’ bailiwick?”

Yusuke nodded. “He’s muscle, but not dumb by any means.”

Hermione agreed. “He’s not. I got a look at his marks.” She eyed Neville. “And never you mind how. He got mostly O’s on his NEWTS. It’s a shame that Britain has such a shitty attitude toward were’s. Shameful.”

Yusuke shrugged, “But good for me. I’m hiring every were I can manage. They get their potions as part of their contract and a place to stay, if they want. I’m going to spread them out all over Japan as part of my kozaku. All the konbun know better than to argue with my enforcers, but a bit of were-eye doesn’t go amiss.” He grinned in a way that made even his father a bit nervous. “So. I’ll write to Shiriusu-oji. He’ll finalize the plan, and we’ll follow Karkaroff down. Just to watch the fun.”

Hermione tapped her fan on the table. “Sounds like a plan to me. Now ... Potions is picking up a bit. Snape wants 24 inches on moon-cycle potions.” She glowered at Yusuke, who was snickering into his teacup. “Not that moon cycle. Potions that have to be brewed on a particular phase of the moon. Baka.”

Yusuke nodded but eyed her fan. “Tetsu senpūki?”

“A. Kenshiro-san gave it to me. He says I’m ready.” She tapped the fan again, making a decidedly metallic sound. “I’ll admit that I feel safer with it.”

Neville agreed. “I’m going to get one myself. Establish a fad.”

Yusuke reached into his mallet space and pulled out a very masculine, dark navy blue silk-clad fan. “Here. Carry this one. I’ve got another, just like it, in here some ... Ah! Yes.” He fanned himself. “We’ll establish a fad indeed. And it’s nice to be able to openly carry a weapon.”

Hermione agreed. “A fakeout. They won’t know we’re armed until we need them to. A wand is as obvious to a wizard as a gun to a yakuza. A fan? Not dangerous.” She smirked. “Until it is.”

“Exactly.” Yusuke finished his tea, offered cigarettes around, then got up. “We need to be in the juku. McGonagall-sensei asked that we stay out of the corridors while the judges set up ... something. I really wasn’t listening after she said judges. Idiots. Well, come on.”

They all trooped off for the juku to work on Snape’s essay. He’d proven to be easier to get along with lately. 

.

Severus Snape was sure that he hadn’t changed a bit. He was still a bastard about lab safety, but he was getting better about explaining the whys and wherefores of things. And he blamed that directly on Draco. The boy was always asking, ‘why?’ He found that answering clarified things in his own mind. He was taking Draco to America with him as a full apprentice when he left. And no argy-bargy about it. Full Stop.

Draco, on the other hand, felt like he’d been slaved to a maniac. Severus insisted that every single cauldron, vial, weight pan, etc., be cleaned by hand to an exacting standard that only a house elf ought to have to meet. His manicure was completely ruined, and he didn’t have time to fix it, ever.

Snape was satisfied that, while Draco hadn’t learned his lesson yet, he would. The boy hadn’t been out of quarters, except to go to class, since his near-expulsion. He also was learning that magic really was a privilege, not a right. His wand was still boxed, except when he needed it for class. And it would stay that way for the foreseeable future. He, Snape, wasn’t having his godson and apprentice make anymore ‘mistakes,’ mistakes that might see disaster befall both of them.

That was the one thing Snape was sure Draco really didn’t understand. He was responsible for everything the silly boy did. So he kept him on a short, firm leash, ignoring the almost constant whingeing and bitching. The shrill tone of Draco’s voice made Snape wish that hexing him silent was possible. It was, however, against the rules set down by a board in charge of preventing abuse to apprentices. Much to his displeasure. 

All he had to do was live through the last task; Dumbledore had insisted that he attend, hinting at bad things if he didn’t. He was sure that Dumbledore meant that he’d queer his purchase, or ruin his reputation somehow. He grudgingly agreed to be there, but refused to allow Draco to attend. The boy was on restriction and would spend that day cleaning the potions laboratory from flagstones to rafters, by hand. 

He scowled into his teacup, wondering what idiocy Dumbledore had planned. He didn’t like it. Miyamoto-sama was sure to cause a riot. And Yusuke-kun sure to kill someone. 

.

Saturday came without much fanfare. All the Yusuke-gumi attended breakfast; waka, gaki, and all. Yusuke stationed a man behind each of his friends and another at each side. He had an odd feeling and didn’t want anyone blindsided on the way to Hogsmeade.

He had three men assigned to him― Sirius insisted. He wasn’t as bothered as Hermione and Neville. He was used to having an entourage; in fact, he missed having his men around him. Neville was better at managing than Hermione. He was used to seeing servants and house elves waiting on people like the Malfoys and Parkinsons. Hermione was having a bit of trouble with the whole idea, but she listened to the senior men and did as they told her, mostly. Yusuke had had an entourage of one kind or another since he’d gotten to Japan.

The second they finished breakfast, Yusuke ordered them on the move. He knew that whoever Karkaroff really was, he would be assigned as one of the professors stationed around Hogsmeade to keep the students from demolishing the town.

The usual chaperones were Flitwick, Hagrid, and Sprout. Beauxbatons didn’t send anyone, as the only two other professors didn’t speak English, and Durmstrang had Karkaroff and another professor, usually a different one every time. This made three professors from Hogwarts, and two from Durmstrang. Only Karkaroff usually hid in either the Three Broomsticks or Madam Puddifoot's. It was because of this habit that no one expected him to be missed until the return to Hogwarts, late in the evening.

.

Alistor Moody watched as Headmaster Karkaroff stomped down the path to Hogsmeade. He had objected to having to chaperone his students, as Madam Maxime didn’t hers. But he’d been told that someone from one of the schools had to do this, and he was stuck with it. Headmistress McGonagall insisted.

He was sure that something was going on; he just wasn’t sure what. Miyamoto was like a clam. He didn’t necessarily sneak around, but he didn’t telegraph his movements either. It was like trying to catch smoke in a butterfly net. 

Not that he much cared, Yusuke was after DE’s, after all. And he wasn’t much worried about what happened to those bastards. They didn’t call him Mad-Eye because of his artificial eye, no matter what anyone claimed. 

.

The snatch went off without a hitch. 

Karkaroff tromped down the path, head down, grumbling to himself. As he drew even with the open gate at Ken No Ie, several things happened at once.

One waka cast a notice-me-not spell on the whole group. The now-spelled group surrounded Karkaroff and just physically snatched him up. One man took his wand, and two others grabbed his wrists, quickly binding them behind him. A fourth man stuffed a wad of cloth into his mouth, effectively gagging him. Then they dragged him through the gate and into the front yard of Ken No Ie. There they stripped him down to his smalls, searched his clothing, and inventoried his things.

Hermione glanced around, missed Mad-eye, and scurried in through the gate. Neville didn’t bother to look around; he assumed, correctly, that someone was keeping an eye out for undue attention. Yusuke joined the crowd around Karkaroff, eyed the nearly naked man, and announced, “Cover him ... that’s just ... dismal.” He led the way into Ken No Ie and down into the cellars.

Sirius and Remus met the group at the bottom of the stairs. Remus immediately took the small bundle of bits and pieces of pocket junk and scattered it across a nearby table. “Well, let’s see what we have here.” He shuffled the stuff around a bit then said, “No portkey, but ... Yeah. Polyjuice.” He sniffed the pocket flask again. “And fresh. He probably took a dose just before breakfast. Give it 45 minutes or so and we’ll know who it really is. And then, we’ll know how highly placed he is and what questions to ask. Yusuke, why don’t you take Hermione and Neville into Hogsmeade? It’s going to be boring to deal with. A whopping dose of Veritaserum and he’ll be babbling like a brook.”

Yusuke nodded. “Plausible deniability. We’re on our way. If you need me, send a gaki.”

Hermione eyed the man for a moment then said, “We know you’re English, we just don’t know exactly who you really are.” She smiled at him for a moment. “Just be sure to tell Remusu-san and Shiriusu-san what they want to know. If you don’t ... well, you won’t like what happens much.” She shuddered dramatically. “Last time was ... icky.” And with that she turned and trotted up the stairs.

Neville sighed. “Yusuke-kun, you’ve ruined her.” He followed Hermione shaking his head sadly. Karkaroff couldn’t see his smirk.

Yusuke shrugged, “I prefer to believe that I’ve fixed her.”

Hermione, well aware that they were talking about her, called, “Not behind my back, please.”

They didn’t stop to eat anything, as they’d just had breakfast; instead, they headed down into Hogsmeade. Hermione dragged them through every store on the square, loudly exclaiming over this and that. Neville complained a bit until Yusuke just hissed at him, “Yes, everyone is looking at us. We’re here, not there. Deal.”

Neville realized that Hermione was attracting attention on purpose and shut up. If they were noticed in the square about the time Karkaroff disappeared, they had an alibi. He made sure that the people looking at them recognized him.

This wasn’t as difficult as one might expect. Everyone recognized Harry Potter. The group of gaki around Hermione and him made recognition inevitable; most of Hogsmeade was used to seeing them wandering around, surrounded by yakuza. Hermione had just made sure that everyone actually noticed them, rather than the kazoku.

They spent the next few hours wandering around town, shopping and visiting with the waka. They ate at the Three Broomsticks and stopped at Honeydukes. Their final stop was back at Ken No Ie.

Yusuke called, “Tadaima!” and they were swamped by waka who helped them into yukata and led them to the downstairs lounge. Remus and Sirius were waiting for them.

Sirius sighed, rubbed his face, then said flatly, “Barty Crouch, Jr. Little bastard was supposed to be in Azkaban. How he got out is a story in itself. His ol’ man is in a heap of shit, too. We’re going to deal with that ourselves.”

Yusuke eyed Remus, who looked sour. “Well?”

Remus shrugged. “We’ve turned the whole mess over to the Aurors, in the person of Mad-Eye Moody. He was ... pissed off, to put it mildly. We’ll be getting a reward for Junior. Senior can’t be found. I have a feeling that he’s either dead or out of the way somewhere. But ... we’re not dealing with this, the Aurors are. We’re not getting paid, we’re not doing the job. Let them do something worthwhile for once.” He settled back to finish his tea, sour expression still firmly in place.

Yusuke sighed. “Well, shit. Any info on what the hell Nanashi has planned?”

Sirius took over again. “Yes. They’ve turned the cup into a portkey to bring you to Nanashi and ... guess the rest.” His expression told its own tale.

Yusuke snorted. “Okay. So.” He looked around, waiting for suggestions.

Hermione coughed. “Let him. Now that you’re warned, we could put an unbreakable trace on you, have you use the portkey, and follow you. Everything else is going to have to be on the fly.”

Neville added, “You carry enough weapons in that mallet space that you aren’t going to be helpless. And response time is nil, or nearly so, when folding. I’ll be right on your heels.”

Yusuke nodded. “Ok. I’m not fond of that plan, but it’s the best we’ve got for finding that asshole.”

Sirius scowled at him. “I not only don’t like it, I actively hate it. What if the tracker fails?”

Yusuke shook his head. “I’ve had the kanji embroidered into my clothing; all I have to do is activate it. And I’ll do that before the task starts.”

Hermione frowned, “If they manage to leave your robes behind?”

Yusuke smirked, “Not on my robes. And I don’t think Nanashi knows a spell to strip you naked.”

Neville snorted as he realized that the kanji had to be on his underwear. “I don’t think so either.”

The laugher lightened the mood in the room quite a bit. Waka showed up with food and more tea. This led to them spending the hour and some before curfew eating and drinking tea while several gaki entertained them with music, jokes, and a dance. 

They enjoyed the whole day, except for the report from Sirius and Remus. None of them bothered to ask about Crouch/Karkaroff. 

.

The flap at Hogwarts over the disappearance of Headmaster Karkaroff wasn’t much. The Assistant Headmaster came from Durmstrang to say that he would be remaining as chaperone and contact in case the headmaster showed up, or a crime could be proven. He was stiff, contrary, and uncooperative. No one much cared, not even the Durmstrang students.

Headmistress McGonagall was inclined to be insulted, but she didn’t say that much, only informing the new chaperone that he was responsible for his students' behavior. That their behavior had been exemplary up to now wasn’t mentioned. Assistant Headmaster Demerov proved to be unremarkable in every way and was, more or less, forgotten at once.

Things returned to what passed for normal at Hogwarts.

.

Voldemort had no idea that his plan had been compromised. Since he had ordered no one to contact his spy in Hogwarts and his spy had been ordered not to contact them, no one had any idea that Crouch had been found out. And, even if they had, no one would dare tell their lord such bad news. Not if they wished to live through the day.

.

The next weeks went by quickly and it was the day of the last task. 

Yusuke dressed carefully in Hakama, hakamashita and haori of a mottled green/brown brocade. He tucked his swords into his obi and went down to breakfast. He was followed by half a dozen high-ranking waka, three of his and one from each of his brothers. His father would provide two more on the walk to the task.

Neville pushed his way to the Gryffindor table and settled in place. Hermione followed him. The Great Hall was crammed with people, all there by invitation of the ministry to see the last task of the tournament. The Champions were seated in state at the champions' table. Also seated at the table were Miyamoto Musashi, Assistant Headmaster Demerov, Madam Maxime, and relatives of the other champions; no one bothered with their names. A rank of yakuza kept anyone from approaching too closely. 

Yusuke glanced around the room and scowled. “I’d rather have Hermione and Neville here than ...” he eyed the other occupants of the table, “…this bunch. But ...”

Musashi-san shrugged in that elegant way of his. “Never mind. It’ll all be over soon, and we can leave this ... barbarous country. Eat.”

Yusuke snorted. The only foods offered today were all English, heavy and disgusting. Odette was eyeing a plate full of bangers with ill-disguised dismay. Ivan wasn’t much pleased either. He was not fond of English either, although the Russian habit of having sandwiches for breakfast had the English shaking their heads. 

Musashi-san dealt with this easily. “Service!” An elf popped in with a small squeak. “Bring proper food, according to taste. Now!” The elf gave a quick bob and disappeared. The food appeared seconds later, each plate containing foods that the person liked best. Musashi-san nodded. “Enough foolishness.”

Yusuke smiled at his father. His English would never be good, so Musashi limited his sentences to as few words as he could get away with. It didn’t hurt his reputation in the least. 

Breakfast finally ended, and Minister Fudge stood, produced a chime with a quick spell, then announced, “Attention! Attention everyone!” He waited a moment while everyone turned their attention to him. “Thank you, thank you. Now, down to business. The Champions will process to the stadium through the Great Front Doors, so everyone make way.” People obediently moved to create a pass from the high table to the huge front doors. “Yes, thank you.” He stepped into the passageway, only to be gently but firmly blocked by the rank of yakuza, who’d moved to flank the group of Champions and family. Madam Maxime had no trouble, due to her height, but Assistant Headmaster Demerov nearly got left behind. Only Ivan’s taking him by the hand saved his being left behind.

The yakuza formed up around Yusuke and Musashi, adding Hermione and Neville easily. Fudge frowned, but refrained from comment, deciding to evict the two unnecessary additions at the stands. Of course, this didn’t work.

“Here we are.” Fudge motioned with one hand. An Auror, placed on the platform, moved to block the stairs. “We’ll only have the Champions and Officials on the stage, please.”

Madam Maxime frowned, “Who do you think you are, little man, to order such a thing?” The lady simply picked the Auror up by his armpits and put him to one side, ignoring his sputtered protests.

Musashi-san nodded to her and said, “Merci, Madame.” He moved aside so that the other members of the group could mount the stairs. They all trooped up to stand in front of the podium and, incidentally, Fudge. 

Minister Fudge fussed at his Auror guard until they, unsuccessfully, tried to move the group behind the podium.

Yusuke sighed. “Damn it! That man’s a menace to all concerned.” He turned to the lead Auror and demanded, “Let’s get on with it. We don’t want, or need, that pompous jackass to spend half an hour ...” he glowered at Hermione

Hermione jumped into the breach with both feet. “Speachifying is the word. And no, we don’t. Move things along, please.” She gave the Auror a completely insincere smile. “Otherwise, someone might just jump the gun. Go.”

The Auror went to murmur in Fudge’s ear. Fudge scowled at his notes then stuffed them into his pocket. “I had a few words planned but, it seems, the contestants are eager to begin. So ... without further ado ...” he made a grandiose gesture to the group of Judges, “we’ll seat the judges and begin.”

The judges all gave him looks, that sort of look you give the village idiot when he’s done something particularly stupid; a combination of annoyance and indulgence perhaps. They took their seats quickly.

Fudge nodded to them. “Excellent, wonderful. Well, let's get on with it, shall we?” Since many of the audience had already been seated for over an hour the general consensus was ‘We shall.’

The grumble that ran through the crowd spurred Fudge into real action. “Excellent, wonderful. So ... first into the labyrinth will be ... Harry Potter!” Fudge waved at Yusuke, who made a face at him then activated his tracking kanji. “Then ... Ivan Dubrovsky. And last but not least ...Odette Renaud.” He started to say something else but was run over by one of the judges. They were as bored with Fudge as everyone else and had chosen one of their number to begin the task.

This judge now stood up, announced, “At the sound of the chime, Miyamoto-san will enter the labyrinth. Forty-five seconds later Gospodin Dubrovsky will enter, and thirty seconds after that Mademoiselle Renaud.” Without waiting for comment from anyone, he produced the chime, and Yusuke ran into the labyrinth.

It really wasn’t going to make any difference when the other two contestants entered the labyrinth; Yusuke was going to use a ninja trick, as Hermione called it. He simply jumped to the top of the hedges and ran there. This avoided the beasties that Hagrid had provided, as well as making the trip to the center of the labyrinth take a few seconds instead of several minutes. He used a simple spell, like a Feather-Lite charm, to make himself lighter and easily made his way to the center of the labyrinth, where the cup was ensconced on a plinth.

He examined it and wondered how to activate it. He decided that the simplest way was probably just to touch it and reached out, grasped it by one of the handles, and picked it up. It immediately transported him to a clearing in an unknown forest.

Yusuke eyed the thing in front of him with undisguised disgust. He was bald, scaly, and very snake-like, flanked by the remainders of his inner circle: Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Thorfinn Rowle, Travers, and Mulciber, plus a few low-level underlings. He was everything a Dark Lord should be. Except for dead. Yusuke intended to deal with that as quickly as possible.

They stood, face-to-face, for several seconds, then Yusuke’s back-up folded in. Since this included not only Miyamoto Musashi, but Miyamoto Masa, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and half a dozen high-ranking yakuza, the battle was a bit uneven. 

Lord Voldemort attacked Yusuke without a word of warning, not that that created a problem. And the battle was on. 

Yusuke ducked the AK that headed his way and drew his sword. This was what was going to win the day. All the Death Eaters expected a wands-drawn conflict, they were not expecting to be met with cold steel. Even Hermione was armed with two Tessen― her sensei had declared her Kuonichi two days ago.

Yusuke unleashed a head-cut that Voldemort ducked under, with a rather undignified screech. His next cut slashed his opponent across the chest, cutting his robe open and creating a gash that immediately began to bleed heavily. 

“You! You dare!” Incensed, Voldemort tried another curse. “Crucio!”

Yusuke ducked under that one, danced to one side and tossed a handful of ofuda at Voldemort. These ofuda were more a distraction than anything else, all they really did was dispel ‘spells of holding.’ He was hoping that Voldemort had a wizard space; dispelling that would dump everything in it onto the man’s head. It worked a great deal better than he'd hoped. 

Voldemort was actually a construct made from spells, potions, and blood from his faithful followers. He was pulling power from anyone with a dark mark, and, as his marked followers fell, his power was diminished. The ofuda cut the last links between marked and master. This left Voldemort weakened.

Voldemort staggered and nearly fell, but managed to right himself. He cast several hexes, one after the other. Yusuke managed to duck, dodge, or shield them all, except for the last Diffindo; this cut him across the shoulders, gouging out a long shallow path from the top of his shoulder to the point of his shoulder blade on the left side. 

Yusuke dropped and rolled, not away from, but toward his opponent. He dipped his fingers in the blood from his shoulder, flicked the droplets at Voldemort and snarled, “Hijinkessou!” The droplets turned into sharp, knifelike shards. Voldemort couldn’t duck or block those and wound up with dozens of shards stabbed into his chest and abdomen. While he was trying to cope with that, Yusuke jumped up, levitated to several feet over his head, and dropped on him like the proverbial thunderbolt. “Ryuu Tsui Sen!” And the fight was over. The Dragon Hammer split Voldemort from skull to pelvis. 

Yusuke turned to help someone, only to find that the fight was nearly over.

Musashi-san had squared off against Rabastan LeStrange and slashed him to ribbons in that off-handed way of his. He was now inspecting his clothing for blood spatter. 

Masa-san had taken Rodolphus LeStrange by surprise, gotten behind him, and was still trying to strangle him. Yusuke stuck his tanto through the man’s chest, careful not to go all the way through and stick Masa. His brother wouldn’t appreciate that at all.

“Otōto o arigatōgozaimashita.” Masa shook his garrote loose and stood up.

The brothers looked for new targets but saw that they were a bit thin on the ground.

The yakuza who had matched up with Death Eaters had done as yakuza do and ganged up on them, taking out the half-dozen or so lower-level men with extreme prejudice. 

Sirius was standing over the body of Amicus Carrow with a disgusted expression and a bruise forming on his cheek. He’d tripped on a rock and fallen, missing decapitation by inches. He’d retaliated with an extremely nasty Black family secret curse that caused Carrow’s brain to liquefy. He was dead before he knew it.

Remus had gone wolf on his target and done a very good job of tearing Mulciber into quarters; he was now busily losing his breakfast with one of the yakuza rubbing his back.

Mad-Eye was still trying to deal with Travers, as he hadn’t gotten the memo that stunners weren’t permanent. Miyamoto Masa dealt with that silliness by walking up behind Travers and separating his head from his body. He glowered at Mad-Eye, barked, “Orokana, karera o korosu!” then walked off. 

Mad-eye grumbled, “Needed to question ... well, shit. Didn’t.” He stumped off to nurse his bruised ego.

This left Hermione and Neville. They were fighting Alecto Carrow and Thorfinn Rowle respectively. 

Alecto had lost her wand when Hermione used one of her fans to knock it out of her hand. She had made the mistake most magicals made: scorned Hermione for using steel. Hermione had to admit that she was glad that her sensei had made her learn to use a fan in her left hand. She had hexed Alecto with a freezing charm, then taken her wand while she was fighting off the effects. A quick stomp had broken the wand and left Alecto fighting hand to hand. The only reason Hermione was still fighting was, Alecto was very good at ducking and dodging. 

Yusuke yelled, “Hermione, stop chasing her and hex her!”

Hermione waved her wand and yelled, “Bombarda!” The hex hit Alecto in the back and knocked her flat. Hermione stupefied her before she could get back up. 

Neville, meanwhile, was having his own troubles. Thorfinn Rowle was a rather large, blond man well known for his ruthlessness. He was having a hard time with Neville, however. Neville blocked, shielded, or dodged his best curses while casting curses and hexes of his own. The only thing that had saved Rowle was his body mass and stamina. 

Neville cast a hex then snarled, “Damn it! A little help here?” 

Yusuke waved one hand, snarled, “Shibaru!” and /pointed/ at Rowle. A mass of silvery ropes popped out of his palm and entangled Rowle, throwing him to the ground as they wrapped around his ankles and knees. “There.” Yusuke turned to a panting Neville. “Okay?”

Neville nodded. “Yeah. Never complaining about endurance training again.” He straightened up. “Thanks. I’m glad I didn’t have to kill him. Not something I was looking forward to.”

Yusuke smiled, “Smoke?” Neville took the offered cigarette. “I’m glad you didn’t have to kill. Not good for you. So ... Now what?”

Mad-Eye answered that by slapping portkeys on every Death Eater he could. Not that anyone wanted to stop him. The keys took all prisoners directly to the depths of the Ministry, where Senior Aurors were already stationed to sort the mess and deal. 

“I’ll expect bounties to be paid to me for all of those. And an immediate release of my family fortune to me.” Yusuke smiled at Sirius, “Not that Shiriusu-oji is doing a bad job. It’s ...”

Mad-Eye interrupted by snorting. He then agreed, “It’s just that it’s yours and you want it. Don’t blame ya. I’ll see to it myself. Now. We’re going to be overrun by ... idiots. Brace yourselves.”

Yusuke continued to smoke, passing cigarettes out to his father and brother. Hermione turned it down, but the other yakuza produced smokes of their own. 

When the reporters, Ministry officials, judges, and various other nosey parkers arrived, the yakuza presented a unified front that protected Hermione and Neville completely and allowed only minimal contact with any of the other combatants. It didn’t hurt that there were now nearly forty gaki gathered around the small group.

Demands for answers to questions were met with “Write it down. Submit it on that table over there.” The table in question was soon groaning with parchments of all types, qualities, and sizes.

Mad-Eye happily told everyone that he would deal with the questioning of all yakuza at the appropriate time. Which was not now. Fudge chose to try to argue with Mad-Eye, announcing, “I’m the minister, you’ll do what I say.”

Mad-Eye looked him over like he was a bad rash. “I will, will I? Retired. Look it up. You aren’t the boss of me. I’m only doing this because I was asked. I can just as easy go home now.” He glowered around, caught the eye of Musashi-san. Musashi made a small sign that Moody recognized. He nodded and apparated away.

It wasn’t long after that Miyamoto Musashi-sama had had enough. “Aruku!” All the yakuza began to walk, formed up in ranks. Hermione and Neville, being in the middle, went along. “Bai!” The entire group simply disappeared between one step and the next, leaving all the reporters, Aurors, sycophants, and curious behind.

.

They all reappeared in the street in front of Ken No Ie. Mad-Eye was waiting for them.

Musashi-sama looked around, announced, “O-saki-to,” and walked in the front door.

Mad-Eye looked at Hermione, then said, “Eh? Wassat?”

“Party.” Hermione followed him in the door. 

It didn’t take long for them all to be seated, Yusuke with some gaki tending his shoulder while another nursed Sirius’ face. A few other men had wounds of various types, none of them truly bad. 

While the wounded were tended, the rest of the gaki brought out food, tea, and sake. Hermione again retreated to her little nook, placed a table in front of it and settled in to tell stories. Mad-Eye settled close to her, just in case. 

Hermione smiled at the old retired Auror. “Don’t worry about me. No one would dare mess with me.”

“Well, girly, I’ll just make sure. See?” Mad-Eye had missed most of Hermione’s battle, being busy taking care of prisoners.

“Fine. But don’t hurt yourself on my account.” She waved her fan, causing one waka, one of her sparring partners, to flinch. “Gomen.” She took a plate of snacks and settled to nibble on them. “I swear, fighting really makes me hungry.”

Mad-Eye barked out a laugh. “That it does, Missy, that it does.”

Hermione chose not to take offense with the old man; she wasn’t fond of being called ‘missy’ or ‘girly,’ but realized that he meant no insult. 

The party lasted long into the morning, winding up when someone realized that everyone was too drunk to make breakfast.

Hermione was asleep, curled up in her nest, with Mad-Eye and a waka passed out in front of it.

Yusuke had staggered up to bed, holding Sirius and Remus up, or they him; no one was sure, and no one cared. 

Neville was also passed out, but at the head table next to Masa-kun. Musashi-san had left near midnight, drunk and just aware enough to make it back to Japan. It wouldn’t do for the Oyabun to actually be drunk in public. 

 

. Epilogue

 

The result of the battle was more than a bit anticlimactic.

The Tri-Wizard was declared to be a bust, with Yusuke as winner. He donated the 1000 galleons to the kazoku party fund, an insult the Ministry of Magic didn’t understand. Hermione laughed, Neville smirked, Sirius and Remus both cheered.

The Ministry finally turned complete control of his fortune over to Yusuke, who promptly turned it back over to Sirius. That was what he’d hired the man for, after all.

The papers all carried stories about the Defeat of The Greatest Dark Lord of the Age, all wildly different, all mostly wrong. The ICW finally got a clue and sanctioned the Ministry for putting an underage wizard at hazard. The entirety of the British wizarding world was in an uproar. No one was entirely sure what they were in a strop about, but they were.

Dumbledore retreated to his office at the Ministry, only to find that he’d been removed from office by a vote of 90 percent of the Gamot. His office at the ICW was still his, but his tenure as Headmaster was over before he even knew it was in danger. He’d been sure that his old friend Minerva McGonagall was only holding down the office until he could return. When he did, Hogwarts wouldn’t let him in the front gates. He finally went to his old home to sulk, for several years.

Neville got into an argument with his Gran that ended in his flatly telling her that he was the master of the house and she’d better get used to it. She subsided rather meekly for such a formidable woman, then said, “But, Neville, you’re the only family I’ve got left. What would I do without you?”

Neville was immediately sorry and replied, “I have no idea, but don’t worry. That was my last battle. Really.”

Snape was reviled in the press but didn’t care. He was relatively rich now. Between the royalties on his annotated potions book, published by a Japanese publisher and his income from his shop, he was more than comfortable. Draco made an excellent apprentice.

Hermione’s parents never knew a thing about the battle, but were very proud of her when she was offered a job as an ESL teacher to a very exclusive school in Japan. 

Yusuke was just glad to be allowed to take NEWTs in peace, then return to Japan to run his businesses. 

His parting remark was, “Atashi wa kono kuni ga kirai. Sore o nokosu tame ni yorokon de,” and, despite Hermione’s efforts, he flatly refused to speak English at all for several years.

 

.

Kuso jijī - old fart  
Anata ga ki ni shinai baai. - If you don’t mind  
Hairu - come in  
Atarashī sakana - new fish  
Orokana, karera o korosu - kill them, stupid.  
atashi wa kono kuni ga kirai. Sore o nokosu tame ni yorokon de. - I hate this country. Glad to leave it.

 

OMG! I can’t believe I’ve finally finished this heifer. I started out to write a fun story about Harry living in Japan. It evolved into something else entirely. Don’t you hate it when a story does that? *G*

Grateful thanks to my betas Jake and Jordre, for making my sometimes scrambled text into something much more readable. Thanks Gals!

And special thanks to everyone who read, whether you reviewed or not.


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